Overview

• The peer-reviewed analysis in Public Health draws on surveys of 691 unstably housed people who use drugs collected from 2021 to 2023.
• Nearly one in four participants reported city workers confiscated their belongings during street sweeps.
• Confiscation was statistically associated with non-fatal overdoses, violent victimization, and difficulties accessing essential services.
• Among 94 people reporting confiscation in the prior six months, 36% tried but could not access housing services and 27% reported physical violence by police.
• Items taken often included medications and harm-reduction supplies, and the authors recommend expanding housing and harm-reduction options plus interim measures such as accessible storage and receipts.