Interim Guidance for Homeless Service Providers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

ABSTRACT

People experiencing homelessness are at risk for infection during community spread of COVID-19. This interim guidance is intended to support response planning by emergency management officials, public health authorities, and homeless service providers, including overnight emergency shelters, day shelters, and meal service providers. COVID-19 is caused by a new coronavirus. We are learning about how it spreads, how severe it is, and other features of the disease. Transmission of COVID-19 in your community could cause illness among people experiencing homelessness, contribute to an increase in emergency shelter usage, and/or lead to illness and absenteeism among homeless service provider staff. Early and sustained action to slow the spread of COVID-19 will keep staff and volunteers healthy, and help your organization maintain normal operations. Community coalition-based COVID-19 prevention and response Planning and response to COVID-19 transmission among people experiencing homelessness requires a “whole community”external icon approach, which means that you are involving partners in the development of your response planning, and that everyone’s roles and responsibilities are clear. Table 1 outlines some of the activities and key partners to consider for a whole-community approach. Table 1 Using a community-wide approach to prepare for COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness table 1 Connect to community-wide planning Connect with key partners to make sure that you can all easily communicate with each other while preparing for and responding to cases. A community coalition focused on COVID-19 planning and response should include Local and state health departments Homeless service providers and Continuum of Care leadership Emergency management Law enforcement Healthcare providers Housing authorities Local government leadership Other support services like outreach, case management, and behavioral health support Identify additional sites and resources Continuing homeless services during community spread of COVID-19 is critical, and homeless shelters should not close or exclude people who are having symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 without a plan for where these clients can safely access services and stay. Decisions about whether clients with mild illness due to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should remain in a shelter, or be directed to alternative housing sites, should be made in coordination with local health authorities. Community coalitions should identify additional temporary housing and shelter sites that are able to provide appropriate services, supplies, and staffing. Ideally, these additional sites should include Overflow sites to accommodate shelter decompression (to reduce crowding) and higher shelter demands Isolation sites for people who are confirmed to be positive for COVID-19 Quarantine sites for people who are waiting to be tested, or who know that they were exposed to COVID-19 Protective housing for people who are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 Depending on resources and staff availability, non-group housing options (such as hotels/motels) that have individual rooms should be considered for the overflow, quarantine, and protective housing sites. In addition, plan for how to connect clients to housing opportunities after they have completed their stay in these temporary sites.