SLO County prepares hotels, campground to shelter homeless hit by coronavirus
Bracing for a potential surge in local COVID-19 cases, San Luis Obispo County officials have secured campgrounds, hotel rooms and trailers in preparation to shelter residents experiencing homelessness who show symptoms of coronavirus.
“Preventing the spread of the virus among our homeless population is one of our many priorities,” county emergency services director Wade Horton said March 22. “We have no diagnoses in homeless individuals yet, but we are preparing for it.”
Early state models showed the virus that causes COVID-19 could spread to 60,000 homeless residents in California within two months, according to the Los Angeles Times.
On March 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom allocated $150 million to protect unsheltered residents from the virus.
In San Luis Obispo County, where an estimated 1,500 residents are homeless, $500,000 is allocated to support emergency housing, Horton told The Tribune on Tuesday.
The focus, so far, is on identifying safe and isolated beds for people who exhibit symptoms of coronavirus or test positive for COVID-19. Separating sick residents isn’t possible at permanent or temporary shelters because of the open living quarters.
The county made agreements with four hotels to secure hotel rooms for homeless residents who are symptomatic or diagnosed with the virus. That includes 27 beds in Atascadero, 45 in Morro Bay, 22 in Pismo Beach and 61 in San Luis Obispo.
“We will continue to talk to local motel owners and we will expand capacity if needed,” Horton said.
In addition to hotel rooms, the county has closed El Chorro Regional Park just north of San Luis Obispo to reserve the park’s campgrounds for symptomatic residents who don’t otherwise have safe shelter.
“These are being used to screen and hold individuals seeking shelter in their buildings that, by their staff’s assessment, appear to have COVID-19 symptoms,” county Public Health spokesman Michelle Shoresman told The Tribune Friday. “This is to avoid mixing people that seem sick with the general homeless population.”
She said a medical professional will evaluate residents and determine whether a test should be conducted to confirm COVID-19.
“The hotel rooms are the next step in this informal triage process. They are generally designated for people that are positive for COVID-19 and must be isolated and cared for, but don’t require hospitalization,” she said.
In the meantime, shelters such as 40 Prado Homeless Services Center in San Luis Obispo continue to provide meals, shelter from intermittent rain and sleeping quarters to residents experiencing homelessness.
“Staff is strained,” said Grace McIntosh, deputy director of the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, adding that she is grateful the county sent support staff from departments closed by the shelter-at-home order, including library staff.
Under the order, clients at 40 Prado were told, “If you have anywhere to go, go,” McIntosh said, because “it’s almost impossible to have social distance here.”
The shelter is asking for donations of sleeping bags and tents to provide to people who can’t stay at the shelter.
Families are finding shelter at United Church of Christ on Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo, McIntosh said. There, tents and partitions keep family units separate in the aim to provide protection both from rainy nights and coronavirus, she said.
On Monday night, 40 Prado had the lowest number of people staying there on record, with 80 people sleeping head-to-toe.
Elderly residents have taken to sleeping in cars to stay isolated, she said.
Two trailers provided by the county sit outside in the 40 Prado parking lot and are reserved for elderly clients, but were unused as of Tuesday because electricity had not yet been set up. It’s not clear where other trailers acquired by the city are located.
A few people showing coronavirus symptoms on Tuesday were then resting in a dorm.
For now, 40 Prado is in “hurry up and wait” mode, McIntosh said. Clients there haven’t been hit by coronavirus yet, but they’re preparing.
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 2:19 PM.
