As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, many people are at risk of becoming homeless. Many are experiencing lay offs or job loss, yet bills are still due. The inability to pay their bills due to the pandemic is causing people to be evicted, forcing them onto the streets in these dangerous times. So why aren't we talking about this more?
Being homeless is already an extremely dangerous and stressful situation that no one wants to be in, let alone being homeless during a pandemic. So how exactly does this affect them worse than it does those with houses?
The homeless population is often of older age and/or with underlying medical conditions, putting them at a greater risk of serious infection. How are homeless people supposed to get masks, hand sanitizer, or even soap? Yes, there are shelters and they help a lot of people, but living in a shelter isn't always the best option for people who are homeless. Some shelters turn you away due to/if you identify as LGBT or transgender, not allowing pets, overcrowding, or any other reasons unfortunately. Not to mention that the overcrowding in shelters is putting homeless people at risk for the disease, so which should they choose?
Who are the homeless supposed to go to if they experience any symptoms of COVID-19? Most places, if not all, make you pay up front to see a doctor. Some communities may be more lucky and have one or two non profit offices that do COVID testing, but then what about the long wait times? It could take too long for the person experiencing symptoms to even get tested, let alone receive their results and hopefully treatment. Not to mention the greater stress homeless people experience, making it harder to get better from sickness.
Suppose a homeless person does get tested and receives their results in time and they are positive, where do they quarantine? On the street where people pass by often, in a crowded shelter? This world is set up to fail homeless people, especially during times of crisis. What about homeless people trying to avoid the disease who live in areas with intense forest fires? The homeless people in Louisiana and Texas, where the hurricanes hit? What about those in areas with high police brutality and rioting? Where do they go, what do they do?
These are things we need to talk about, draw attention to. Don't look away, these people need your help!
Some ways that you can help is by donating money and PPE, such as masks, hand sanitizer, soap, etc. You can join campaigns, or if you see or know of someone sleeping on the street, you can contact a group that will help them!
If you're comfortable with it, go up to the next homeless person you see (wearing a mask, while keeping six feet apart) and talk to them. They're human beings and they deserve to be treated as such. Ask them how you can help them during these times.
Please don't turn your back on the the people in your community.
Some places to donate:
https://www.mungos.org/homelessness/how-to-help-during-coronavirus/
https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/covid-19/
https://www.convoyofhope.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw-uH6BRDQARIsAI3I-Ud8ufwJXYIMMAuiUH4eLL2VgnTNYlQ_Kwcj9x50hPpAash9oDzOuooaAjmHEALw_wcB
https://backpackbed.org/us/homelessness-in-oregon?gclid=Cj0KCQjw-uH6BRDQARIsAI3I-UeD7mNPSBSp7yasADeKntrPIWgMYT69rjmHqKCHSR-A7YqVD-YQT8IaAtPMEALw_wcB
Source:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/homeless-shelters/faqs.html
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