Here’s what Fresno County is doing to stop the spread of coronavirus among the homeless
Fresno County employees are working to house about 300 homeless people in an attempt to control the spread of the novel coronavirus under an effort approved on Tuesday.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the retroactive agreement of about $2 million with RH Community Builders.
The 60-day contract is expected to be covered by state-approved emergency money and could be extended another 30 days, according to county staffers.
Over the past week, Fresno County set up approximately 312 beds in dorm-like rooms at three buildings owned by RH Community Builders using emergency COVID-19 funding from the state. Beds are spread among the old Hacienda hotel, former CAP campus and another building at 1040 North Pleasant Ave. So far, only the former CAP campus is running, as they have not yet reached capacity.
About 150 people have already been newly housed under the program.
“The effort to house the homeless is to prevent the spread,” Fresno County Social Services Director Delfino Neira said. “They tend to live in groups and in areas that are not as sanitary.”
The effort to isolate the most vulnerable or already sick homeless is the latest move to reduce coronavirus spread. All Californians have already been asked to stay home except for essential trips.
Essential services like grocery stores and law enforcement are ongoing.
Gov. Gavin Newsom last week secured $1.1 billion in emergency funds for the state’s fight against the rapidly spreading coronavirus, also called COVID-19. Several efforts are included in the plan.
There are about 2,500 homeless people in Fresno and Madera counties, according to the latest annual tally from the Continuum of Care.
The existing shelters have been equipped with cleaning supplies and places for the residents to wash their hands, according to Sonia De La Rosa, a county employee who oversees homeless efforts.
The majority of the people in the emergency shelters are in the city of Fresno, she said.
Newsom’s funding also allows local governments to rent hotels to house the homeless during the pandemic.
Hotels a possibility?
Fresno County has not rented hotels yet but officials are looking into that possibility, according to Neira.
Fresno County Counsel Dan Cederborg said the plan presents some liability issues to the county because insurance companies are hesitant to provide coverage related to coronavirus.
Supervisor Brian Pacheco said the risk is acceptable given the emergency nature of dealing with the pandemic.
“I think the bottom line is we’re going to be able to take 150 more people off the street,” he said. “There’s always a risk. This is a vulnerable population and a high-risk population. There’s always a risk.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 11:07 AM.
