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For the first time in decades, life expectancy in the Each year, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
United States has decreased: from 78.8 in 2014 to (CCH) conducts an unofficial count of deaths through
78.6 years in 2016.1 Data shows that drug overdose a coordinated process involving the Denver Medical
deaths are a major contributor to this decrease in life Examiner’s Office (110 people who passed away) and
expectancy and is now considered the leading cause of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) which
death for Americans under 50 years old.2 “In the U.S., is comprised of thirteen local organizations dedicated
the source of reduced life expectancy was concentrated to serving those in our community experiencing
at younger ages, particularly deaths among those in their homelessness (an additional 123 people). The period
20s and 30s, and largely driven by increases in drug covered by the Denver Medical Examiner’s Office is
overdose deaths related to the nation’s ongoing opioid between November 1, 2017 and October 31, 2018. Of
epidemic”.3 The same study from The BMJ also indicated
that a younger mortality rate was often the result of
alcoholism and suicide, or “deaths of despair”. With
the life expectancy of unhoused Americans typically 30
years lower than their housed neighbors,4 it is especially
concerning that this nationwide shift will bring the life
expectancy for those experiencing homelessness even
lower.
Age
The Medical Examiner’s office was able to confirm the primary cause
of death for 91 of the 110 individuals who died while experiencing
homelessness in 2018.
References
1
Google Public Data. Life Expectancy 1960- 2016. https://goo.gl/fdUpFd
2
Reynolds, Dean. CBS News. June 6, 2017. Overdoses Now the Leading
Cause of Death of Americans under 50. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ 9
The New York Times. June 5, 2017. Drug Deaths in America Are Rising
overdoses-are-leading-cause-of-death-americans-under-50/ Faster Than Ever. https://goo.gl/gqPHc2
3
Rapaport, Lisa. Reuters. August 22, 2018. Life Expectancy Declines Seen 10
Keystone Policy Center. Bridging the Divide: Addressing Colorado's
in US and Other High-Income Countries. https://www.reuters.com/article/ Substance Use Disorder Needs. February 2017. https://www.keystone.org/
us-health-lifeexpectancy/life-expectancy-declines-seen-in-us-and-other- wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Keystone-SUD-final.pdf
high-income-countries-idUSKCN1L723R 11
Democratic Staff of the Senate Committee on Finance. Dying Waiting
4
Crisis. 2011. Homelessness: A Silent Killer. https://www.crisis.org.uk/ for Treatment: The Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Gap and the Need for
media/237321/crisis_homelessness_a_silent_killer_2011.pdf Funding. October 10, 2016. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/
5
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. 2018. Everyone Counts; 2018 Point In doc/101116%20Opioid%20Treatment%20Gap%20Report%20Final.pdf
Time Report. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/mdhi/pages/231/at- 12 Daley, John. Colorado Public Radio. Who Will Fill the Treatment Gap
tachments/original/1528993916/MDHI2018PiTFINAL.pdf?1528993916 Now that Denver's Arapahoe House is Closed? January 18, 2018. http://
6
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2018. National Homeless www.cpr.org/news/story/who-will-fill-the-treatment-gap-now-that-denver-
Person’s Memorial Day. https://www.cdc.gov/features/homelessness/index. s-arapahoe-house-is-closed
html 13
McGhee, Tom. Denver Post. Crimes Against homeless people up 42
7
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Annual Homeless percent in Denver and Suburban Cops Say That's Pushing Transients into
Assessment Report to Congress: Part 1. December 2017. https://www.hudex- Their Towns. January 14, 2018. https://www.denverpost.com/2018/01/14/
change.info/resources/documents/2017-AHAR-Part-1.pdf crimes-against-homeless-people-up-42-percent-in-denver-and-suburban-
8
Kaiser Family Foundation. Population Distribution by Gender. 2017. cops-say-thats-pushing-transients-into-their-towns/
https://goo.gl/7ggJ4L