Homeless Sheltering Questions–FAQ

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1. population who are waiting for tests or are not feeling well to access a sheltering site for quarantine.

• Contact your local Health Department (or call 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258)).
• Offer address of a nearby sheltering location. If clients are not feeling well enough to access a sheltering site assume they are not stable enough to receive support in their current location
• Avoid recommending the use of public transportation
• Guidance from HUD: https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/Infectious-Disease-Toolkit-for-CoCs-Preventing-and-Managing-the-Spread-of-Infectious-Disease-within-Encampments.pdf
• Guidance from HUD: https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/Infectious-Disease-Toolkit-for-CoCs-Preventing-and-Managing-the-Spread-of-Infectious-Disease-for-People-Experiencing-Homelessness.pdf 

2. Process for homeless population who need to leave a medical site, but still need to remain quarantined.

• Contact your local Health Department (or call 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258)).
• Avoid recommending the use of public transportation
• Guidance from HUD: https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/Infectious-Disease-Toolkit-for-CoCs-Preventing-and-Managing-the-Spread-of-Infectious-Disease-within-Shelters.pdf
• Guidance from HUD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_IFSvcOe_E&feature=youtu.be 

3. How to connect CoCs with county emergency ops? How do they connect – process, what should they ask of them? who do they connect with?

• List of county and municipal health departments: https://www.health.pa.gov/About/Pages/County-Municipal%20Health%20Depts.aspx
• There are only 10 county and municipal health departments in PA. Everyone else is covered under the state DOH (Visit https://www.health.pa.gov/ or call 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258)).
• CoCs should reach out to their county emergency management coordinators (list of county emergency management coordinators found here: https://www.pema.pa.gov/County-EMC/Documents/EMC-List.pdf). Introduce your agency and offer assistance with case management of homeless individuals affected by COVID-19, as available.

4. Process for homeless population who are not connected to a CoC agency who need to exit a medical site or need quarantine sheltering?

• CoCs should reach out to their county emergency management coordinators (list of county emergency management coordinators found here: https://www.pema.pa.gov/County-EMC/Documents/EMC-List.pdf) and offer to provide case management services or other coordination for homeless individuals not connected with the CoC pre COVID-19, if possible.

5. What will hospital and other medical site staff be told? When?

• It’s uncertain what hospitals may or may not know about CoCs. We do have the capability to disseminate messaging to providers through the Healthcare Coalitions, so as the situation develops, contact DCED if you identify a need for important messaging that should be disseminated to hospitals or Alternate Care Sites on interacting with CoCs.

6. Any special consideration for survivors of domestic violence?

• Guidance from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence: https://www.pcadv.org/coronavirus-covid-19-resources/
• Guidance from the National Network To End Domestic Violence: https://nnedv.org/resources-library/covid-19-coalition-guidance-programs/ 

7. What should CoC and DV providers do now, before they have any clients who need sheltering?

• Guidance from HUD: https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/Infectious-Disease-Toolkit-for-CoCs-Preventing-and-Managing-the-Spread-of-Infectious-Disease-within-Shelters.pdf

• Guidance document for homeless shelters from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/homeless-shelters/plan-prepare-respond.html

8. How long with emergency sheltering and feeding continue for homeless and DV populations?

• Emergency sheltering and feeding will continue for homeless and DV populations until the need is satisfied. This could be an extended operation-plan on weeks to months for now.

9. How will these sheltering costs be funded?

• There are going to be several funding sources available. Please reach out to DCED for guidance as needed. In addition to ESG and other regular funding sources, HHS is providing funding for some non-congregate sheltering. This funding flows through local health departments, where they exist, or through PA DOH where they do not. The funding choice of last resort will be through the FEMA Public Assistance Category B Emergency Protective Measures funding, with 75% of eligible expenses covered by the federal government.
• Please track all costs related to the COVID-19 disaster.

10. Guidance on the process for shelters if someone tests positive – What are the steps they should take with other folks in the shelter?

• Guidance from HUD: https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/Infectious-Disease-Toolkit-for-CoCs-Preventing-and-Managing-the-Spread-of-Infectious-Disease-within-Shelters.pdf