Housing the homeless with COVID-19

As the number of coronavirus cases go up so does the need to keep cases at bay.

The City of Tucson set up a plan to house the homeless population in hotels who test positive for COVID-19.

CITY LEADERS SAY THEY SPENDABOUTA MILLION DOLLARS INFEDERAL FUNDS PER MONTH TO PAYFOR HUNDREDS OF ROOMS ..

ROOMSNEEDED BY THOSE WHO HAVENOWHERE TO GO.

PKG AS THENUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES GO UP&.SO IS THE NEED TO KEEP CASESAT BAY..

SO THE CITY OF TUCSONSET UP A PLAN TO HOUSE THEHOMELESS IN HOTELS WHO TESTPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19.... "THEHOTELS HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL,"LIZ MORALES WITH THE CITY'SHOUSING AND DEVELOPMENTDIVISION SAYS CONTRACTS WITH 3LOCAL HOTELS STARTED BACK INMARCH-- THE HOTELS ARE PAIDFOR WITH MONEY FROM HUD ALONGWITH 2 MILLION DOLLARS FROMTHE CARES ACT--- THE GOAL---ISTO KEEP THE VIRUS FROMSPREADING AT SHELTERS "THE CDCRECOMMENDED TO DE-CONCENTRATETHOSE CONGREGATE SHELTERS,"WORKERS AND VOLUNTEERS HANDOUT PPE..

AND EL RIO HEALTHDOES THE TESTING---- THE PLANIS TO TRANSITION CLIENTS INTOPERMANENT HOUSING AND JOBSAFTER RECOVERING FROM THEVIRUS.

THEY ALSO GET 3 MEALS ADAY.

REFERRALS FOR THE HOTELSCOME FROM SHELTERS, OUTREACHWORKERS AND POLICE.

" OLDPUEBLO COMMUNITY SERVICES,COMMUNITY BRIDGES OPERATINGTHE HOTELS AS SHELTERPROVIDERS.

PRIMAVERA ANDCATHOLIC COMMUNITY SERVICESARE ASSISTING WITH CASEMANAGEMENT," SO FAR THE CITYIS COVERING 365 ROOMS AND 390PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY CHECKEDIN..

SINCE THE PROGRAM STARTEDABOUT 500 PEOPLE HAVEPARTICIPATED AND 80 WERETRANSITIONED INTO PERMANENTHOUSING.

"WE DO HAVE SOMECOUPLES AND SOME FAMILIES BUTTHEY ARE SMALLER NUMBERSCOMPARED TO THE SINGLEINDIVIDUALS THAT WE AREWORKING WITH," THE AVERAGESTAY AT THE HOTELS IS ABOUT 30DAYS.

THE PROGRAM WILL ALSOSTAY IN PLACE UNTIL THEPANDEMIC IS OVER.

"WE'RE GONNAKEEP DOING THIS UNTIL WE SEETHOSE NUMBERS DECREASE ANDHAVING SOME VIABLE OPTIONS FORPEOPLE," SHAWNDREA THOMAS KGUN9 ON YOUR SIDE.