The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) has published new guidance, ” The Delta Variant: 5 Ways Communities Can Protect People Experiencing Homelessness,” that is intended to assist communities in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 and the delta variant among people experiencing homelessness. This document outlines recommendations for encouraging and supporting vaccinations, strengthening testing, re-instituting COVID-19 mitigation protocols, use of non-congregate shelter, and a continued effort to rehouse as many people as possible. Additionally, USICH stresses that “being fully vaccinated should not be treated as a prerequisite to receive shelter, housing, or services; and regardless of vaccination status, all homeless services staff, volunteers, and clients should continue wearing masks and physically distancing.”
The emergence of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) calls for enhanced cooperation between public health authorities, homeless service systems, and other partners at the local level. To support these partnerships and the vulnerable households served, HUD and its partners are issuing guidance from subject matter experts on best practices and lessons learned.
RESOURCE LINKS
New HUD SNAPS Resources
New National Partner Resources
National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC):
- Biden Administration’s ‘National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness’
- January 2021 Issue Brief: Consumer Perspectives of the COVID-19 Vaccine
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Visit the following HUD Exchange pages:
- COVID-19 Vaccine Updates for Homeless Service Providers page: Weekly COVID-19 vaccination updates from HUD
- SNAPS Disease Risks and Homelessness page: All COVID-19 infectious disease prevention and response resources
Full COVID-19 SNAPS Resource Digest: A comprehensive list of HUD partner websites and resources highlighted since the beginning of the pandemic
