COVID-19 Links - Provided by U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness coordinates and catalyzes the federal response to homelessness, working in close partnership with senior leaders across 19 federal member agencies.
Links as of April 27, 2020
https://www.usich.gov/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: Information on Federal Programs to Sustain Nutrition for At-Risk Individuals, HHS (April 27)
NEW: Sustaining Nutritional Needs for At-Risk Individuals: Information for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Entities, FEMA, HHS (April 27)
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.
- Interim Guidance for Homeless Service Providers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (updated April 21)
- Printable Resources for People Experiencing Homelessness (April 8)
- Interim Guidance for Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 among People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness (March 22)
Plan
Community Planning and Preparedness
- 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)
- Needed Actions from the Public Health and Emergency Response Systems, National Health Care for the Homeless Council (April 1)
- Estimated Emergency and Observational/Quarantine Capacity Need for the US Homeless Population Related to COVID-19 Exposure by County and Community-level COVID-19 Planning and Response Dashboard, Dennis Culhane, Dan Treglia, Ken Steif, Randall Kuhn, and Thomas Byrne (March 25)
- 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 (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
- 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.
- Reducing Harm for People Using Drugs and Alcohol During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Guide for Alternative Care Sites, NHCHC (April 2020)
- National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) - Resources on the Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) (webpage; no publication date)
Funding, Flexibilities, and Waivers
For more information on the links below, please see our dedicated page COVID-19 Funding, Flexibilities and Waivers.
- 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 (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 (March 13)
- Eligible ESG Costs for Infectious Disease Preparedness, HUD (March 5)
Other Considerations
- Racial Equity and Social Justice Resources, Racial Equity Tools
- 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.
- 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)
- Interim Guidance on COVID-19 for Member Domestic Violence Programs, Ohio Domestic Violence Network (April 7)
- California Recommended Strategic Approaches for COVID-19 Response for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness and flow chart, State of California (March 28)
- COVID-19: Client Screening and Work Flow Examples, Community Documents (update March 27)
- Interim Guidance for Providers: Addressing Needs of People Who Use Alcohol, Tobacco, or Other Drugs Requiring Isolation or Quarantine Related to COVID-19, San Francisco Department of Public Health (March 16)
- COVID-19 Guidance for the Los Angeles County Homeless Services Community, Los Angeles (webpage)
- Preparing for COVID-19 in Congregate/Communal Settings webinar slides, Los Angeles (March 9)
- Coronavirus guidance for congregate living facilities, Los Angeles (March 2)