‘Homelessness is lethal’: US deaths among those without housing is surging

Untreated disease, violence, exposure, overdoses and car strikes are all added hazards of living on the streets

The number of Americans dying while homeless has surged dramatically in the past five years, an exclusive analysis by the Guardian in conjunction with an academic expert at the University of Washington has shown.

An examination of 20 US urban areas found the number of deaths among people living without housing shot up by 77% in the five years ending in 2020.