Deaths among homeless people occur at higher than average rates. This is partly due to higher rates of AIDS, cancer and hepatitis and also due to lack of access to regular healthcare services. Homeless people in Canada are entitled to public healthcare services; however, they can often be hard to access. There are barriers that prevent treatment, follow up and compliance with treatment.

Causes of death among an urban homeless population considered by the medical examiner was published in the Journal of Social Work in End-Of-Life & Palliative Care, 8(3), 265-271 in 2012.