ABSTRACT
Any Institute of Medicine (IOM) report necessarily must undergo a process of negotiation among committee members, and then between the committee and external reviewers; such a process assures the objectivity, credibility, and defensibility of the report and its principal findings. Only a comprehensive long-term strategy for eliminating homelessness will permanently improve the health status of homeless persons. The most basic health problem of homeless people is the lack of a home; to condemn someone to homelessness is to visit him or her with a host of other evils. Society has an ethical obligation to ensure equitable access to health care for all. Equitable access to health care requires that all citizens be able to secure an adequate level of care without excessive burdens. Many homeless people urgently require a wide array of support services, including job training, psychosocial rehabilitation, outreach, and case management.
