Individuals and families experiencing homelessness are at a higher risk for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)-related health emergencies, yet are a population often underrepresented in preparedness planning. A new compendium of Stories from the Field highlights how five local health departments worked to improve how they prepare for, and respond to, such WASH-related emergencies among people experiencing homelessness. Their experiences provide examples of how local health departments can update and exercise emergency preparedness plans, and share lessons learned and best practices gained from this process.
Click here to download the Compendium.
This compendium is part of a suite of resources to support local health departments in WASH emergencies.
- Resource library: This resource library contains a variety of background resources, guides, trainings, and communication materials on WASH emergency planning and homelessness health, as well as examples of emergency preparedness from the LHDs who have successfully updated their plans to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness (PEH) during WASH-related emergencies.
- Webinar: In this July 2023 webinar, hear from the five local jurisdictions and learn about focus group findings, tools, and resources to support preparedness and response efforts for PEH during WASH emergencies.
- Article: NACCHO conducted key informant interviews with the five local health departments involved the WASH-PEH project to capture their experiences and findings from this work. The findings from these interviews were captured in an article published in the March/April 2024 issue of the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice: “Lessons Learned From Local Health Departments: Updating Preparedness Plans to Address People Experiencing Homelessness During WASH-Related Emergencies.”
NACCHO and WASH
NACCHO is committed to supporting LHDs in keeping water safe in their communities. Visit NACCHO’s Water webpage to explore resources on WASH emergency planning, wastewater surveillance, drinking water, aquatic health and safety, and more.
