The interface between public policies for the unhoused population: an integrative review

Abstract

The heterogeneous and vulnerable nature of the unhoused population reveal the complexity of living on the street and call for the State to play a fundamental role in the provision of health and social care policies. The scope of this study was to evaluate the intersectorality between health policies, social protection and organized civil society actions for the unhoused population in Brazil, based on an integrative literature review. To achieve this, a search was conducted in the SciELO, LILACS and PubMed databases, from which ten articles published between 2004-2021, all of a qualitative nature, were selected. From the analysis of the chosen articles, the evidence of intersectorality between the policies for the unhoused population was observed, mainly described as a point of intersection between the services offered. However, interventions are still poorly explored and systematized. It is recommended that quantitative studies aimed at the evaluation of intersectoral public policies be developed to allow the assessment of the impact of intersectorality between health services, social assistance and organized civil society on the quality of life of the unhoused population.

Key words:
Unhoused people; Health policy; Social protection; Intersectoral collaboration; Social vulnerability