SAN DIEGO — On Wednesday afternoon, San Diego County leaders discussed plans to protect San Diego's homeless population amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, Regional Task Force on Homelessness Chair Chris Ward, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, and Regional Task Force on the Homeless CEO Tamera Kohler spoke at the County Administration Center.
City and county leaders announced Wednesday that San Diego will partner with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to respond to the needs of the homeless amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The task force requested assistance from HUD in developing plans to address coronavirus -- known as COVID-19 -- and support service providers working with shelters, supportive housing and San Diego's homeless population.
"It is significant that we have the support at the federal level and we are bringing best practices from across the country to San Diego to help us mitigate the spread of COVID-19 amongst individuals experiencing homelessness," said Tamera Kohler, CEO of Regional Task Force on the Homeless. "We are using an approach of compassion. We are sharing information in an equitable way."
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously voted to continue the recently declared local health emergency in response to the deadly coronavirus, and to form a subcommittee to handle related challenges
Local leaders are placing 86 hand-washing stations throughout the county, and offering help to 18 cities in the region, as well as providing outreach to the homeless community, with help from other service providers and the Regional Task Force on the homeless, including the distribution of personal hygiene kits.
The HHSA also began sending public health nurses to San Diego's bridge shelters to conduct screenings for respiratory issues. Lastly, the county has been scoping out sites for a potential quarantine area should the need arise.
"Individuals experiencing homelessness deserve the same care, compassion and information about COVID-19 as everyone else. We are aggressively working to make sure that happens," said county Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. "We want San Diegans to know that our region is working together and coordinated in our response managing the spread of COVID-19 and we take seriously our obligation to protect our most vulnerable, including homeless individuals."
The Regional Task Force on the Homeless has been working with homeless service providers to educate and monitor for any potential cases and is forming a working group on COVID-19 to meet regularly and assess the needs of the community.
"Today's meeting continues the planning efforts that the city, county and the Regional Task Force on the Homeless have been engaging in this past month to protect our unsheltered population," said San Diego City Councilman Chris Ward, who serves as chair of the task force. "The information and perspectives shared today will help us most effectively deploy resources to homeless service providers and help prevent the spread of coronavirus."
The County of San Diego Board of Supervisors in February voted to let the Health and Human Services Agency to apply for and receive nearly $10 million from state funds to address homelessness in the region.
The funding will come from the California Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program grant. The County’s portion combined with funds going to other local agencies could bring the San Diego region a total $43.3 million to house people experiencing homelessness and who have complex health needs.
“We’ve taken several steps over the last few years to address some of the root causes of homelessness, including increased funding for programs,” said Chairman Greg Cox.