An Assessment of the Needs of Homeless People in Gauteng Province in the Context of Covid-19

The Gauteng Department of Social Development commissioned this study to assess the needs and wellbeing of homeless people in Gauteng Province in the context of the targeted COVID-19 response interventions.

The project aimed to gather anonymised sociodemographic characteristics, physical and mental health, life histories of homeless people including accessing their perceptions regarding government’s COVID-19 support, coping mechanisms (including knowledge attitude and practice on COVID-19 prevention), and access to health services especially for those on chronic treatment. The study also included documentation of the roles and capacities of key stakeholders including frontline Department of Social Development staff, police-community liaison officers, and shelter managers in implementing programs targeting homeless people.  

This study includes surveys with homeless people in shelters as well as those residing on streets in the different regions of the province. The intention is to use the findings from the study to inform the provincial policies and plans pertaining to strengthening programs that address needs of the homeless including strategies to address risks caused or enhanced by the COVID-19 pandemic.