National Health Care for the Homeless Council

Learn from Dr. Jim O'Connell of Boston HCH Program & Dr. Jim Withers of the Street Medicine Institute in Our Second Town Hall Webinar

This Friday! | April 3 | 12-1 p.m. CT

The second webinar in our Town Hall series on COVID-19 and homelessness will address the unique challenges of people living in encampments and other outdoor locations. Unsheltered people may not run the same risks of congregation like those in shelters do, but they are already at greater risk of poor sanitation, violence, forced displacement, and disconnection from service providers, among other things.

We will tackle these distinct issues with a panel that includes internationally recognized street medicine experts. Ample time will be dedicated to discussion and problem-sharing in this free webinar. Please join us!

In case you missed it: The recording and slides from last Friday's Town Hall, "Clinical Pandemic Response for People Without Homes—Insights from Seattle & King County," are now available!

Explore the Council's Latest COVID-19 Resources: New Diabetes Fact Sheet, Infographic, and Video

The Council is continuously updating its Coronavirus Resources with the latest information available on the pandemic. This week we are unveiling a new COVID-19 fact sheet for people experiencing homelessness with diabetes. This one-page, simple, and easy-to-understand diabetes-specific fact sheet is a resource providers and community health workers can use to engage people with diabetes who are unstably housed. It also highlights tips on how to avoid and prepare for the virus, as well as symptoms and what to do if you get sick.

Read the Fact Sheet

Other recent resources from the Council include:

COVID-19: Why Homeless Populations are a High-Risk Group (Infographic): this shareable graphic details why people without homes are at particular risk from novel coronavirus.

Insights from the Field: Consumers and Medical Respite Programs Respond to COVID (Blog Posts)

Caring for People Without Homes During COVID-19 (Video): this video details steps to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in people experiencing homelessness and care providers.

Coronavirus Information for Homeless Shelters and Homeless Service Providers (Quick Guide): This guide features key COVID-19 tips in plain, consumer-friendly language.

View the Infographic

New COVID-19 Resources from the Field: Guidance from the CDC, CMS, and More

Coronavirus information changes quickly and the Council is keeping its COVID-19 resources page updated with the latest national and local materials. From a national perspective, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released several new recommendations:

Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations

Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Guidance for Alternate Care Sites and Isolation Sites

Screening Clients for Respiratory Infection Symptoms at Entry to Homeless Shelters

Other national guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) includes:

Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Increased FMAP FAQs

Individual State Medicaid 1135 Waivers

On a local level, Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless (ACHCH) is collecting updated information on COVID-19 featuring informative local examples of shelter health guidance, isolation housing, and more.

Find More COVID-19 Resources

Upcoming Clinicians’ Coffee Chat Webinar Will Explore Diabetes and Co-Occurring Disorders

April 8 | 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT

Join the third webinar in our four-part “Clinicians’ Coffee Chat” series on diabetes to learn about the complexities of providing care for clients with diabetes and co-occurring disorders. This interactive conversation will foster peer learning and support across the homeless health care field.

Please bring your questions and experiences to share in the free discussion. An additional Diabetes Coffee Chat on nutrition will take place in Spring 2020.

CARES Act Includes Funding for Housing and Homelessness Resources

The Council has issued a statement on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Signed into law on March 27, the CARES Act provides $2 trillion in direct spending to address the COVID-19 pandemic. We are pleased to see resources allocated for housing and homelessness, including funding for medical respite, street outreach, community health centers, a moratorium on evictions, medical supply shortages, and other public health needs.

Please read our Summary of Key Provisions for an overview of Congress’s COVID-19 bills. We will continue to update our community on policy developments.

Read the Statement

HCH2020 Has Been Cancelled

As the world continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National HCH Council's Board of Directors has voted unanimously to cancel our 2020 National HCH Conference & Policy Symposium (HCH2020). This was a difficult choice, but protecting the health of our staff, registrants, presenters, sponsors, and exhibitors is our top priority.

All registration fees will be fully refunded. Thank you to those who dedicated time and energy towards HCH2020 and for your work in the movement to end homelessness. We look forward to seeing you all in Baltimore, MD, for HCH2021!

Read the Full Announcement

Explore a Mega Issue of Mobilizer and Poverty Policy Podcast on COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the systemic gaps in health care, housing, and homelessness that the HCH community has been battling for years. Our recent action alert highlights the latest resources and policies on the novel coronavirus crisis, what we are doing to minimize the spread of COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness, and much more.

Read the Issue

Our latest Poverty Policy Podcast also explores COVID-19. This episode features Catherine Crosland, MD, HCH Clinicians' Network Steering Committee Member and Director of Homeless Outreach at Unity Health Care in D.C., and Barbara DiPietro, NHCHC Senior Director of Policy, as they discuss what coronavirus means for people experiencing homelessness and needed policy changes.

Start Listening

Our Call for COVID-19 Immediate Impact Grants Has Closed and Notifications Will Be Made Soon

Thank you to all who applied for our COVID-19 Immediate Impact Grants in partnership with Kaiser Permanente. We are now considering grant applications and will notify recipients by email on April 8. Checks will go out immediately afterward.

We are heartened to see so many programs working to aid people experiencing homelessness in the face of this pandemic, and we will give careful consideration to all applications. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Apply Now

Council in Media Spotlight: The Evolving Threat of COVID-19 to People Without Homes

The COVID-19 crisis continues, and the National HCH Council remains at the forefront of the media conversation to raise awareness of the deadly risk the pandemic poses to people without homes. Recent stories drawing on Council expertise include:

Los Angeles Times: "Why a Fight Over Homeless People Could Determine How Much Coronavirus Hurts California"

Searchlight New Mexico: "Taking It to the Streets: Accounting for New Mexico’s Homeless Population in State’s COVID-19 Response"

The Appeal: "Seattle Was Struggling to Care for Its Unhoused Population. Then Coronavirus Arrived."

The Colorado Springs Gazette: "For Colorado Springs’ Homeless, Pandemic ‘Stay-at-Home’ Order Neither Possible nor Effective"

The Council is always available to inform coverage of homelessness and health care. Find more recent coverage on our website or contact us for more information.

View Recent Stories

ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES

COVID-19:

CDC: Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations

CDC: Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of PPE

CMS: Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Increased FMAP FAQs

Clinicians’ Coffee Chat: Diabetes and Co-Occurring Disorders
April 8, 2020 | 11:30-12:30 p.m. CT

Clinical Pandemic Response for People Without Homes—Insights from Seattle & King County: Recording Now Available!

View Archived Webinars

Nurse Care Manager
Joseph's House | Washington, DC

Family Nurse Practitioner
Amador Health Center | Las Cruces, NM

Bilingual Behavioral Health Provider – LCSW
Amador Health Center | Las Cruces, NM

Supervising Registered Nurse
LifeLong Medical Care | Oakland, CA

Behavioral Health Counselor
Outside In | Portland, OR

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