KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - The causes of death among 94 people who died while homeless in 2005 are summarized in a new report by Public Health - Seattle & King County. The report illustrates the significant challenges in health and personal safety experienced by people who are homeless and the necessity for comprehensive solutions that integrate housing, human service and health care needs of this vulnerable population.

The report, 2005 Annual Report on Homeless Deaths, is available on the web at www.metrokc.gov/health/hchn.

“Each of these 94 deaths in our community is a personal and a community tragedy,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “My heart goes out to the family and friends of these individuals, all who knew their names and faces, and the many people who continue to face the risks of homelessness each day. For all of us committed to King County’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, these findings add urgency to our work.”

The report provides demographic and cause of death information on 94 individuals who died in 2005 in King County while homeless. Major causes of death included acute intoxication (32% of all cases), trauma (31%), and cardiovascular disease (15%).

Compared to the 2004 report findings:

• The number of deaths recorded rose from 82 to 94
• The average age of death remained at 47 years
• The largest percentage of 2005 deaths were accidental, as opposed to natural in manner in 2004

The cases included in the report were those under the jurisdiction of the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. They include people who died on the streets, in encampments, in homeless shelters, and other locations. The deaths do not represent all homeless deaths in King County because not all homeless deaths come under the Medical Examiner’s jurisdiction.

“These deaths openly reflect the suffering and challenges faced by individuals who have no safe, stable place to call home,” said Dorothy Teeter, Interim Director and Health Officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County. “Many of these early deaths are preventable, and they illustrate the widespread health consequences suffered by people who are homeless.”

Like previous studies on homeless deaths both locally and nationally, the causes of King County homeless deaths in 2005 continue to reflect the many harsh realities and risks faced by those who live on the streets and in shelters—chronic health conditions, homicides, suicides, and the troubling role of alcohol and drugs. Reflecting the fact that homelessness is not just an issue of the urban core, 24% of the deaths occurred in communities outside the City of Seattle.

King County is taking a leadership role in the implementation of the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, a comprehensive regional plan to address conditions contributing to homelessness, including health-related issues and the lack of available and affordable housing. Sims serves as co-chair on the Governing Board of the Committee to End Homelessness, working with other community leaders to craft new approaches for eliminating homelessness.

For more information on the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, visit www.cehkc.org. For more information on Health Care for the Homeless Network, visit www.metrokc.gov/health/hchn.

Providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health – Seattle & King County works for safer and healthier communities for everyone, every day.

# # #