Covid Conversations

Serving Georgia’s Homeless During the Covid-19 Crisis

Next Meeting: September 23, 2020

 

GA ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS
AUGUST 26, 2020 Virtual Meeting

Service Providers Meeting Notes

Staff Present: Alexa Waters, Freda Bonaparte, Jasper Preston and Katheryn Preston

Welcome was extended to all the participants by Katheryn Preston, Executive Director and “Thanks” were extended to all the providers, schoolteachers and liaisons for their hard work and commitment to the families we all serve.

Janice Sheffield and Carlos Baker from the Savannah Authority for the Homeless gave an overview of how their Continuum of Care has been handling the client intakes since the initial shutdown of their Office. The outreach team set up a tent outside the offices to have a place for clients to come and be assessed for services. There have recently been several cases of COVID identified in two shelters which led to both having to Isolate Clients currently housed. Any new clients must be isolated for 15 days before they can actively enter a program. A hotel came forth and designated a few rooms for COVID positive persons to stay quarantined. However, there is a serious gap in shelter when it is time for these persons to leave hotel because shelters are under isolation. The COC is trying to seek a solution to this dilemma.

Providers of homeless services need additional resources and inquiring if there is any legislation pending or in place that can help localities “return to normal”. Shelters and other direct service providers have needs not normally in their service provision. What resources will aid direct service providers (shelters) put into place health measures that mitigate the impact on clients/community?

Concerns were presented by homeless liaisons pertaining to the difficulties of tracking McKinney Vento students because the virtual education system. How should children be counted if they are certified homelessness and they are currently staying out of state and participating in the virtual classes at the school in Georgia where they enrolled this school year?

GAEH Staff will research information to help providers and liaisons deal with current challenges and report back at the next virtual meeting on September 23, 2020 at 2:00pm.