On Tuesday, the city of San Francisco announced that it will provide homeless people with temporary housing in RVs if they have tested positive for the coronavirus, or if they’ve been exposed to it and need to self-isolate, as long as they do not require hospitalization. A great step, and a necessary one, given that the city has recently declared a state of emergency, but in the big picture it serves as a reminder that our most vulnerable populations do not have safe, consistent housing all of the time.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s office says that the RVs will be set up throughout the Presidio national park and in the rest of the city as needed. The city is also asking hotels to provide their vacant rooms and is looking at empty residential properties, though exact numbers have not yet been released. In total, Breed’s office says, the city will put $5 million toward aiding homeless communities during the coronavirus crisis. In addition to temporary isolated housing, the assistance will include expanded meal programs; shelters open 24 hours, seven days a week; the hiring of more workers to clean shelters and single-room occupancy residences funded by the city; and more cleaning supplies. The funding is intended to provide these things for the next few months.
“Our top priority is public health and slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our community. It’s important that we take measures like this to care for our most vulnerable residents, including people who are homeless,” Mayor Breed said in a statement on Tuesday.
As the coronavirus spreads, all cities should be making action plans for supporting homeless communities public and transparent. Making public resources available for the most vulnerable communities is the only ethical approach. Homeless people are generally more vulnerable to illness, and have little access to nutritional food and inconsistent or minimal access to recommended hygiene and cleaning supplies such as soap and water or hand sanitizer. Homeless communities deserve support, access, and care—not finger-wagging.
“We need to be taking a very compassionate, harm-reduction approach, if and when we get to the point where we're asking people to stay in quarantine,” Dr. Margaret Kushel, director of the Center for Vulnerable Populations at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News.
As Daily Kos has reported, homelessness is on the rise again in the U.S., particularly in California. Meanwhile, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has suggested that regulations on the use of technology are to blame for that, and Trump seems more concerned with removing homeless people from the public eye than with actually providing care. Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro released an inspiring and comprehensive plan to combat homelessness during his presidential run, and spent time with communities in Las Vegas, where efforts to criminalize homelessness are increasing.
Coronavirus, now labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization, is understandably causing fear and anxiety among many. In efforts to stock up on supplies, however, don’t forget about the most vulnerable neighbors in your communities—including those who don’t have homes.