The Fourth Street Clinic Report is where we explore the systems, challenges, and solutions shaping health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.
A Missed Opportunity: Why Access to Healthcare Still Matters
Fourth Street Clinic is encouraged to see a reported 1.6% decrease in homelessness reflected by the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. Although modest, this progress demonstrates what is achievable when healthcare providers, housing partners, outreach teams, municipalities and community organizations work together in a coordinated and sustained way. We see what expanding collaboration, strengthening street outreach efforts, increasing behavioral health coordination, and connecting individuals to healthcare, housing navigation and supportive services can do. These collective efforts matter, and the PIT Count results suggest the community is taking small steps in the right direction. At the same time, the PIT Count represents only a [...]
Healing Without Barriers
Mental health challenges, substance use disorder and homelessness are often deeply connected – and deeply misunderstood. Stigma, past trauma, and broken trust can make seeking care feel impossible, leaving many without the support they need. At Fourth Street Clinic, we believe care begins with meeting people where they are at, building trust and providing compassionate behavioral health care and substance use disorder support that treats the whole person, not just their addiction. At just 21, Atreyo began experiencing homelessness, cycling in and out of the prison system while battling substance use disorder for over a decade. Exhausted and ready [...]
How Homelessness Worsens Health, Especially for Minorities
April is Minority Health and Stress Awareness Month and from 4/6 - 4/12, it is also Public Health Week! Public Health Week highlights the conditions and circumstances that shape health outcomes across communities, and homelessness remains one of the most urgent public health challenges in the US. For minorities, the health issues associated with homelessness are intensified, due to what researchers describe as “weathering,” or the cumulative impact of repeated social and economic adversity.1 This includes both the stress of homelessness and the ongoing strain of systemic inequities. As we know, homelessness places individuals in a constant state of [...]
Why Safe Access to Health Care Matters for Women Experiencing Homelessness
In partnership with Huntsman Cancer Institute, Fourth Street Clinic hosts a Women’s Health Day every quarter to expand access to essential preventive care. During this event, unsheltered women receive mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, vaccines, and early HPV detection services in a supportive and welcoming environment. This focus on high-quality care for women experiencing homelessness is especially important during Patient Safety Week in March, a nationwide effort to reduce harm and strengthen safe care practices across the health care system. By prioritizing preventive services and patient safety, Fourth Street Clinic works to ensure that every patient receives care in an environment [...]