This is a rare moment.  For over two months, "Occupy" groups have captured national attention by claiming public spaces and protesting income inequality, unrepresentative government, and concentrated power among the highest earners.  This grassroots phenomenon may be brief in its physical presence (time will tell), but many areas have seen significant interactions between Occupy groups and individuals experiencing homelessness.  This is because Occupy sites are often public spaces already frequented by people experiencing homelessness; because desperately impoverished, socially excluded people naturally seek to take advantage of free food, companionship and other resources; and because the issues identified by the Occupy movement are important political and economic drivers of homelessness.  Some sites have managed to accommodate all participants peacefully, but in other instances, there has been friction.   

While the National Health Care for the Homeless Council does not necessarily endorse this movement or its tactics, the current environment presents opportunities for HCH projects and other homeless service providers.  Staff and consumers may be able to engage these nontraditional community groups in a constructive discussion about the causes and solutions of homelessness. Much of the public dialogue focuses on the 1% at the top of the economic heap, but would be complemented by attention to the 1% at the bottom. In particular, the health consequences of economic inequality bear examination: world-wide, nations with greater income disparities have worse health outcomes, for people in all classes.  For those at the bottom, untreated health issues including chronic physical and mental diseases often prolong economic distress and result in behaviors that are distressing, disruptive or threatening to others.