b'These vulnerable patients frequent the hospitalbecomes a vicious cycle: without funds to pay for emergency room and often have long inpatienthealth care (treatment, medications, surgery, etc.), stays. They have no place to rest and heal and,one cannot heal to work again, and if one remains many times, shelters are the only place for refuge.ill, it is difficult to regain employment. In Homelessness and Health: Whats theWithout income from work, an injury or Connection? the National Health Care for theillness quickly becomes a housing problem. In Homeless Council (NHCHC) explains why healththese situations, any available savings are quickly is one of the leading causes of homelessness: Anexhausted, and relying on friends and family for injury or illness can start out as a health condi- assistance to help maintain rent/mortgage pay-tion, but quickly lead to an employment problemments, food, medical care, and other basic needs due to missing too much time from work;can be short-lived. Once these personal safety exhausting sick leave; and/or not being able tonets are exhausted, there are usually very few maintain a regular schedule or perform workoptions available to help with health care or functions. This is especially true for physicallyhousing. Ultimately, poor health can lead to demanding jobs such as construction, manufac- unemployment, poverty, and homelessness. turing, and other labor-intensive industries.Homelessness creates new health problems The loss of employment due to poor health thenand exacerbates existing ones.Photo by BDI Storytellers, provided by Knox Area Rescue Ministries20 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024'