Using Non-Congregate Shelter to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

People experiencing homelessness and those living in congregate housing are at a higher risk of contracting or having complications from COVID-19. Many have underlying health conditions and effective physical distancing is difficult in large, crowded group facilities. Even though housing is a significant factor in overall health and well-being, people who need it most may be avoiding opportunities for shelter for fear of contracting the virus.

Early in the pandemic, the federal government issued an order allowing states and localities to use Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) emergency shelter assistance funds to house unsheltered people in non-congregate settings like hotels and motels. This flexibility helps protect vulnerable populations and reduces the chances of transmission in group shelter settings. FEMA extended this policy in February 2021 for six additional months.

On March 16, the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), National Alliance to End Homelessness and the National League of Cities co-hosted a webinar to help housing practitioners and advocates understand how to use the benefits to set up non-congregate shelter programs. Non-Congregate Sheltering During the Pandemic: Using New FEMA Policy to Save Lives featured several national and local experts on the intersections of COVID and homelessness. Useful highlights include:

  • Ann Oliva, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities Visiting Senior Fellow, gave concrete steps to set up FEMA reimbursement for non-congregate sheltering. She explained that practitioners need to make sure they understand the eligible costs, what data they will need to collect, and the steps of reimbursement process.
  • Jason Elliott, Senior Advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsome, described the planning and roll-out of Project Roomkey, the state’s non-congregate shelter program. He highlighted the strong cooperation between state and local authorities and the necessity of acting without hesitation in order to prevent higher rates of illness and death as infection trends worsen.
  • Shaylin Sluzalis and Germán Parodi, founders of The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, talked about providing non-congregate shelter for persons living with disabilities. They described systemic barriers to using non-congregate shelter to protect people with disabilities because people in nursing facilities are not considered “homeless.” This is the case even though they reside not in homes, but in congregate facilities that are dangerous places to be during a pandemic.
  • Joy Moses, Director of Homelessness Research Institute at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, discussed research on the spread of COVID-19 in homeless populations and the rates of transmission in hotel/motel sheltering versus congregate shelter. Unsurprisingly, Moses and other researchers found the spread of the virus was lower in non-congregate settings.
  • Andreanecia Morris, Executive Director for HousingNOLA, advised on how to deal with local opposition to non-congregate housing strategies. She noted that viable strategies are sitting on the shelf due to lack of understanding or support for the approach at the local level.

Watch the full webinar: Non-Congregate Sheltering During the Pandemic: Using New FEMA Policy to Save Lives

Explore other resources about non-congregate sheltering and the impact of COVID-19 on homelessness:

Initiatives Involved:
Affordable HousingCOVID-19 Response