COVID-19
Homelessness services systems should be working closely with their city and county governments and public health systems to prepare for COVID-19 disease outbreaks among people experiencing homelessness.
NEW: Increasing Equity in the Homeless Response System Through Expanding Procurement, HUD (June 13)
NEW: Community-based Organizations During COVID: Returning to Work, HHS ASPR (July 13)
NEW: Data and Equity: Using the Data That You Have, HUD (July 8)
NEW: USICH and SARS-CoV-2- The Federal Response for Families and Individuals Experiencing Homelessness, USICH (July 6)
CDC Guidance
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have developed recommendations for homelessness services systems and providers about how to protect their staff, clients, and guests. Those recommendations fall into three groups: Plan, Act, and Follow-Up.
- NEW: Interim Considerations for Health Departments for SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Homeless Shelters and Encampments (July 1)
- Homeless Shelter Worker Training (June 23)
- COVID-19 Infection Control Inventory and Planning (ICIP) Tool for Homeless Service Providers (June 23)
- Overivew of Testing for SARS-CoV-2 (June 15)
- Social Media Toolkit for Community Organizations and Health Departments (June 11)
- Checklist for Homeless Services Providers During Community Re-Opening (May 21)
- Interim Guidance for Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 among People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness (updated May 10)
- Interim Guidance for Homeless Service Providers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (updated April 21)
Plan
Community Planning and Preparedness
- Individuals Experiencing Homelessness are Likely to Have Medical Conditions Associated with Severe Illness from COVID-19 Issue Brief, HHS ASPE (June 25)
- Federal Funding Priority Order for Non-Congregate Shelter During COVID-19, HUD, HHS, FEMA (June 23)
- Homeless Prevention: Effective and Efficient Prevention Programs, HUD (June 19)
- Rehousing Activation and Racial Equity Part 1: Equity as the Foundation, HUD (June 8)
- Planning a Housing Surge to Accelerate Rehousing Efforts in Response to COVID-19, HUD (June 8)
- Equity-Driven Changes to Coordinated Entry Prioritization, HUD (May 29)
- Webinar: Engaging Persons with Lived Experience of Homelessness in Your COVID-19 Response, HUD (May 19)
- COVID-19 Landlord Engagement: Reset your Community's Critical Partnerships During COVID Response, HUD (May 15)
- Homeless System Response: Changes to Coordinated Entry Prioritization to Support and Respond to COVID-19, HUD (May 7)
- A Framework for COVID-19 Homelessness Response: Responding to the Intersecting Crises of Homelessness and COVID-19, NAEH (May 1)
- Information on Federal Programs to Sustain Nutrition for At-Risk Individuals, HHS (April 27)
- Sustaining Nutritional Needs for At-Risk Individuals: Information for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Entities, FEMA, HHS (April 27)
- COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide, USDA (April 15)
- FEMA COVID-19 Feeding Guidelines, FEMA (April 9)
- FEMA COVID-19 Sheltering Guidelines, FEMA (April 8)
- Supporting Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness during the COVID-19 Outbreak: Questions to Consider, USICH (March 16)
- Guidance on COVID-19 for VA Grantees Providing Homeless Services, VA (March 13)
- Questions to Assist CoCs and Public Health Authorities to Limit the Spread of Infectious Disease in Homeless Programs, HUD (March 9)
- Preventing and Managing the Spread of Infectious Disease for People Experiencing Homelessness, HUD (March 2) (Disponible en Espanol)
- Preventing and Managing the Spread of Infectious Disease within Shelters, HUD (March 2)
- Preventing and Managing the Spread of Infectious Disease within Encampments, HUD (March 2)
Act
Site-Specific Emergency Operations
- Medical Respite Care and Alternate Care Sites, National Health Care for the Homeless Council (May 6)
- Infection Prevention and Control Considerations for Alternate Care Sites, CDC (updated April 23)
- Screening Clients at Homeless Shelters, CDC (updated April 21)
- Investigating and Responding to COVID-19 Cases at Homeless Service Provider Sites: Considerations for State and Local Health Departments, CDC (updated April 18)
- Cleaning and Disinfection for Community Facilities with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), CDC (updated April 1)
- Non-congregate Approaches to Sheltering for COVID-19 Homeless Response, HUD and CDC (March 26)
- Essential Services for Encampments During an Infectious Disease Outbreak, HUD (updated March 26)
- Shelter Management During an Infectious Disease Outbreak, HUD (March 23) (Disponible en Espanol)
- Specific Considerations for Public Health Authorities to Limit Infection Risk Among People Experiencing Homelessness, HUD (March 9) (Spanish version also available.)
Client Support and Care
For a curated list of key resources on client support and care, please see National Health Care for the Homeless Council’s COVID-19 resources.
- Supporting Individuals Exiting Isolation or Quarantine, HUD (June 19)
- Youth Experiencing Homelessness. CDC (May 10)
- Printable Resources for People Experiencing Homelessness, CDC (April 8)
- Reducing Harm for People Using Drugs and Alcohol During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Guide for Alternative Care Sites, NHCHC (April 2020)
Funding, Flexibilities, and Waivers
For more information on the links below, please see our dedicated page COVID-19 Funding, Flexibilities and Waivers.
- Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 COVID-19 Supplemental Funding Example of Allowable Uses of Funds, ACF (May 12)
- Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 COVID-19 Supplemental Funding Guidance: ACF Reporting Requirement for FYSB RHY Programs, ACF (May 12)
- COVID-19 Dislocated Worker Grants, DOL (May 5)
- States that have been approved to operate pandemic EBT programs, USDA (April 24)
- Federal Programs that Support Individuals Experiencing Homelessness, HHS, HUD, FEMA, USICH (April 17)
- Treasury, IRS launch new tool to help non-filers register for Economic Impact Payments, IRS (April 10)
- Letter to Chief State School Officers regarding flexibilities in education funding, ED (April 3)
- Small Business Administration COVID-19 Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources, SBA (April 3)
- Office on Violence Against Women Resources and FAQs for Grantees, Department of Justice (April 3)
- Availability of Waivers of CPD Grant Program and Consolidated Plan Requirements to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 and Mitigate Economic Impacts Caused by COVID-19 for CoC, ESG, and HOPWA, HUD (April 1)
- FAQs on FEMA-supported non-congregate sheltering, FEMA (March 31)
- ACF grant flexibilities in conducting human service activities related to or affected by COVID-19, Children's Bureau (March 30)
- Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastucture Workforce, DHS (March 28)
- Child Nutrition Program State by State COVID-19 Waivers, USDA Food and Nutrition Services (webpage, no publication date)
- TANF flexibilities in order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS (March 24)
- FEMA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Public Assistance Simplified Application, FEMA (March 23)
- FEMA Coronavirus Pandemic: Eligible Emergency Protective Measures (March 19)
- Using a Disaster Policy to Fund Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response with ESG, HUD (March 18)
- Using CoC Program Funds for Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response, HUD (March 13) (Disponsible en espanol)
- Quick Guide to CDBG Eligible Activities to Support Infectious Disease Response, HUD (March 13)
- Available SSVF Resources to Place Homeless Veterans at High-Risk of COVID-19, VA (March 13)
- Eligible ESG Costs for Infectious Disease Preparedness, HUD (March 5)
Other Considerations
- Department of Labor Coronavirus Resources, DOL
- National Network to End Domestic Violence Resources on the Response to COVID-19, NNEDV
- COVID-19 in Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups, CDC (April 23)
- USDA's Find Meals for Kids Interactive Map, USDA (April 1)
- Civil Rights Laws and HIPAA Flexibilities that Apply During the COVID-19 Emergency, HHS Office of Civil Rights (March 31)
- Resources for Child Welfare Professionals and Caregivers, Children's Bureau (March 18)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Resources, SAMHSA
- COVID-19 (“Coronavirus”) Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel, Department of Education
Community Examples
For more community examples, see either NAEH's Coronavirus and Homelessness resource collection or Community Solutions' curated web portal. USICH does not endorse the resources found on those pages.
- Landlord Engagement Spotlight: Miami-Dade County, HUD (June 23)
- Webinar: Future Planning for the Homelessness Response System: Lessons Learned from Seattle/King County, Los Angeles, and Houston, USICH (June 17)
- Webinar: Operating Isolation and Quarantine Facilities and Providing Medical, Behavioral Health, and Substance Use Treatment: Lessons from King County, USICH (May 12)
- Webinar: Maximizing Funding for Non-Congregate Shelter Opportunities: California’s Project Roomkey, USICH (April 23)
- Webinar: Implementing Assessment and Recovery Centers and Providing Transportation to I/Q Facilities: Lessons from Seattle & King County, USICH (April 13)
- Webinar: Reinforcing the Homelessness Crisis Response: Lessons from Seattle & King County, USICH (March 31)
- Webinar: Isolation and Quarantine: Lessons Learned from King County, USICH (March 24)
Follow-Up
Community Planning
- Prevention to Promote Equity, HUD (June 23)
- System Planning: A Framework for Homelessness Prevention, HUD (June 16)
- Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Resources, USICH (June 12)
- Five Things to Consider When Investing ESG in Homelessness Prevention, HUD (June 11)
- Untapped Expertise: Strategies for Inclusive Stakeholder Engagement When Developing Your Coordinated Investment Plan, HUD (June 10)
If you are experiencing homelessness, please contact the Continuum of Care in your local area for assistance.