Working to feed, house local homeless
Efforts to reach the local homeless populations are underway in the bi-county area, with food distributions and arrangements to connect those in vulnerable populations to temporary shelter.
Those experiencing homelessness are considered especially vulnerable to coronavirus because of lack of access to health services, a higher likelihood of underlying health issues and weakened immune systems.
Public health teams are providing daily meal pickups, restrooms and handwashing facilities at the Habitat for Humanity Restore location in Marysville, from 1011 a.m. and near the boat dock on Second Street in Yuba City from noon to 1 p.m. Educational flyers promoting best health practices are passed out while people receive food.
Over 300 meals are provided daily between both locations, with 512 meals provided on Thursday, according to information from the bi-county office of emergency services. The Salvation Army has been providing a larger part of the meals which are an immediate hot meal and a cold meal to-go.
“We’re asking them for those who have mild symptoms to kind of follow the state orders, do not leave your camp unless you need medical care or for food,” Said Yuba County Public Information Officer Rachel Rosenbaum. “This is the same information we’re giving the public.”
While people are at meal pickups, county employees are present to try to connect those who are 65 and older or immunocompromised to a shelter or a voucher program for local motels.
Yuba County Public Information Officer Russ Brown said there have been 28 individuals placed into shelter in Yuba County and 26 in Sutter County, as of publication.
Brown said the voucher program will continue for as long as the coronavirus emergency persists, and the county care and shelter team will continue to monitor those in shelter to assess their needs.
“The care of our vulnerable homeless residents will continue as long as needed during the COVID-19 response,” Brown said.
Habitat for Humanity has been working with the bi-counties and other local organizations to coordinate goods and services, said Habitat Director John Nicoletti. They have worked with local restaurants for food deliveries to the Better Way Project. He said he appreciates the independent restaurants who are “hitting right back” against the current economic uncertainty through providing meal donations.
“I am just so thankful and appreciative of the hospitality area in the Yuba-sutter area,” Nicoletti said.
Habitat for Humanity is also working to gather healthcare supplies, especially n95 masks and eye protection, for donations to Adventist Health and Ampla Health. Nicoletti said house painters and contractors who have extra masks should consider donating them to healthcare providers.
For construction, Nicoletti said there are eight Habitat houses which are currently under construction, as well as construction continues on the expansion to the Life Building Center.
Hands of Hope, a day service center for those experiencing homelessness has adapted their procedure to comply with social distancing. Executive Director Rick Millhollin said the organization’s two locations, in Yuba City and Marysville, are only allowing people to come in for shower and laundry facilities, with a limit of 10 people or less per room.
“We’re doing our best to follow the guidelines,” Millhollin said. “We want our clients to remain safe, we want our community to be safe. Other than the resources from counties and cities we are their main service.”
The goal of the centers is to connect people to the tools and services they need to exit homelessness through their coordinated entry program. Millhollin said they’ve been working to enter people into the system over the phone as much as possible. For in-person entries, he said there is a one-person occupancy room where applicants are also screened for symptoms.
Additionally they are not processing anyone into the coordinated entry system from outside of the county, which Millhollin said is usually determined through a pre-screening over the phone.
“We have seen an uptick in phone intakes because usually we do them in person,” Millhollin said. “We have stopped doing any out of county intake.”
Hands of Hope staff who were determined to be in at-risk groups for age or immuni-compromised are taking a leave of absence to avoid potential spread.
Overall, Millhollin said it’s a mixed bag whether those who use the facilities are concerned or not, noting an instance where he had to tell a man he couldn’t stay at the facility unless he was showering or doing laundry.
“You have those that are very cautious and they practice the safe social distancing,” Millhollin said. “We have signs everywhere of what to do. And then you have those that are nonchalant.”