NAEH: Coronavirus and Homelessness Systems

Resources to aid in pandemic planning

Best Practices A practical newsletter for people ending homelessness. Coronavirus and Homelessness Several resources are available to help providers and systems leaders prepare for the impact of a coronavirus outbreak. Links to the resources are below. Key take-aways include: Be prepared by staying informed about your local COVID-19 situation and establish relationships with public health partners in your community Communicate with staff and clients about facility preparedness and policy updates (i.e. modified hours, non-urgent care by telephone, etc.), and consider using social media to do so  Expect the homelessness services sector workforce to be impacted, and anticipate modified service delivery based on staff capacity Protect your workforce by screening clients, staff, and visitors for acute respiratory illness, ensuring use of personal protection equipment, and encouraging sick employees to stay home  Protect your clients by separating those with respiratory illnesses, and implementing prevention strategies to minimize exposure (i.e. encouraging frequent hand-washing, increased surface cleaning/disinfection, etc.) Take inventory of supplies (hand soap, food, and more) and order more if necessary For more detailed information on how to prepare, please consult the following resources:  Pandemic Planning and Services that Support People Who are Homeless, OrgCode Disease Risks and Homelessness resource and Infectious Diseases Toolkit for CoCs, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Steps Healthcare Facilities Can Take Now to Prepare for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Homelessness and the Response to Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreaks: Lessons from SARS, National Center for Biotechnology Information   VA Grant and Per Diem NOFA: Apply Now The VA's Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program recently published a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) in the federal register. The Transition In Place (TIP) NOFA provides approximately $40 million in funding for eligible organizations to provide transitional housing beds utizing the TIP housing model for veterans who are homeless or at risk for becoming homeless. Apply now >>> Registration for the 2020 National Conference on Ending Homelessness (July 13-15, Washington, DC) will take place during the month of April. The regular registration rate will be $675. Stay tuned in to the Alliance newsletter and social media for updates. Get Organized, Take Action As the federal budget process gets underway, advocacy is be essential to speak up for the resources we all need to end homelessness. The Alliance will launch several advocacy actions in the coming months, and we need as much engagement as possible with the members of Congress who ultimately control federal spending on homelessness. You can help now by subscribing to the Alliance's Advocacy Alert emails. The Alliance's new tools make it simple to take action and speak up for your needs. Subscribe here From the Alliance Blog The 2019 Point-in-Time Count: What Did We Learn About Family Homelessness? By Sharon McDonald Nan Roman's Keynote Address from the 2020 Solutions for Individual Homeless Adults Conference By Nan Roman What Does the President's Budget Proposal Mean for Homelessness Programs? By Steve Berg Department of Education Numbers Show the Consequences of America's Affordable Housing Crisis By Sharon McDonald Featured Alliance Resource Data Snapshot: Reductions in Transitional Housing Do Not Cause Increases in Unsheltered Homelessness Facebook Twitter endhomelessness.org Is Your Community Ending Homelessness? The Alliance's Center for Capacity Building offers training and technical assistance for providers and community leaders. To learn more, email thecenter@naeh.org.