Health Inequalities and Barriers to Healthcare Access Among Homeless People: A Case Study in a Homeless Shelter in the Municipality of Athens(Greece).

Homelessness and housing exclusion is a multidimensional social phenomenon worldwide and is considered the most extreme form of poverty and social exclusion. It has a serious impact on the physical, mental, and social well-being of the individual. The paper attempts to record the health status of homeless people staying in a temporary shelter as well as to investigate the view of homeless people regarding access to health care facilities and any difficulties in doing so. The research aims to highlight vulnerability due to homelessness with a particular focus on the experience of the individual. In addition, it will attempt to explore the life history of the interviewees by focusing on those points that for them have played a significant role in leading to health care deprivation. The qualitative method was used to implement the research by generating data through the application of the semi-structured interview tool with open-ended questions.