Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) Insecurity in Unhoused Communities of Los Angeles, California

Background: Access to water and sanitation is a basic human right; however, in many parts of the world, communities experience water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) insecurity. While WaSH insecurity is prevalent in many low and middle-income countries, it is also a problem in high-income countries, like the United States, as is evident in vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness. Limited knowledge exists about the coping strategies unhoused people use to access WaSH services. This study, therefore, examines WaSH access among unhoused communities in Los Angeles, California, a city with the second-highest count of unhoused people across the nation. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a snowball sampling technique with 263 unhoused people living in Skid Row, Los Angeles. We calculated frequencies and multivariate analyses to describe (1) How unhoused communities cope and gain access to WaSH services in different places? Moreover, (2) What individual-level factors contribute to unhoused people’s ability to access WaSH services? Results: Our findings reveal that access to WaSH services in Los Angeles is most difficult at night. Reduced access to overnight sanitation resulted in 19% of the sample population using buckets inside their tents and 28% openly defecating in public spaces. Bottled water and public taps are the primary drinking water source, but 6% of the sample reported obtaining water from fire hydrants, and 50% of the population stores water for night use. Unhoused people also had limited access to water and soap for hand hygiene throughout the day, with 17% of the sample relying on hand sanitizer to clean their hands. Shower and laundry access was also among the most limited services reducing people’s ability to maintain body hygiene practices and limiting employment opportunities. Our regression models suggest that access to WaSH is not homogenous. Community differences exist, with the odds of having difficulty accessing sanitation services being two times greater for those living outside of Skid Row (95% CI: 1.08-6.37) and three times greater for people who have been unhoused for more than six years compared to people who have been unhoused for less than a year (95% CI: 1.36-8.07). Conclusion: Overall, this study suggests a need for more permanent and 24-hour accessible WaSH services for unhoused communities living in Skid Row, including restrooms, drinking water, water and soap for hand hygiene, showers, and laundry services.