Advocates and city residents gathered at the War Memorial Plaza on Thursday to remember 89 homeless people who died in the city this year.

Jeff Singer, chief executive of Healthcare for the Homeless, a nonprofit organization that provides health care to the city’s homeless population, said much of this year’s tragic toll could have been avoided.

“Many of these deaths are entirely preventable,” he said in a written statement.

“The best way to honor those who died is to make comprehensive health care, affordable housing, and living wages our top priorities,” he said.

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The service was organized by Stop Homelessness and Reduce Poverty, a coalition of local providers who serve the homeless population.

A list of 89 homeless people who were known to homeless-service providers was distributed at Thursday’s service. The list included one woman identified only as “Annette” and another as “Jane Doe” and a man called “John Doe.”

The memorial was the 16th consecutive year that advocates for the homeless have held a service to remember those who died on the streets or in shelters. In 2005, services for the homeless were held in 100 communities around the country.

Singer said the ultimate goal of the coalition was to end the memorial services, and the deaths.

“Let us work toward a future in which there is no need to hold memorial services for people who die without housing,” he said.

sjanis@baltimoreexaminer.com