{"id":4526,"date":"2020-04-23T15:14:59","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T15:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/?p=4526"},"modified":"2020-04-23T15:14:59","modified_gmt":"2020-04-23T15:14:59","slug":"correspondence-on-covid-19-and-the-homeless-with-county-healthsters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/correspondence-on-covid-19-and-the-homeless-with-county-healthsters\/","title":{"rendered":"Correspondence on COVID-19 and the Homeless With County Healthsters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Jessica, <br> Thanks for your answers.\u00a0 I, of course, have more questions.\u00a0 These are in CAPITALS below. <br> I will forward your answers to many others interested in your stats.\u00a0\u00a0 <br><br> You are also invited to attend the protest  happening Friday April 24th outside of Denny&#8217;s on Ocean Ave noon to 2  PM.\u00a0 See &#8220;Shame on Santa Cruz&#8211;Hotels Not Hospitals&#8221; at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2020\/04\/21\/18832547.php\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2020\/04\/21\/18832547.php<\/a> .\u00a0 <br><br> Coverage of an earlier protest can be found at  <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2020\/04\/20\/18832521.php\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2020\/04\/20\/18832521.php<\/a> (Demonstrators Demand  Santa Cruz Provide Hotel Vouchers for the Homeless).\u00a0 An earlier story I posted is at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2020\/04\/19\/18832493.php\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2020\/04\/19\/18832493.php<\/a> (Questions that  Demand Answers). <br> Please reply with whatever information you  have to the attached questions or refer me to those who have the  information, if you don&#8217;t. <br> Thanks again, <br><br> Robert Norse HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship &amp; Freedom)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert,\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your e-mail was forwarded to me.\u00a0 Please see my answers to your questions below in red: (Note: This blog does not have the answers in red but the answers from her are right after each question)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you know, the Supes finally unanimously voted to open motel rooms to thousands of homeless people<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(<a href=\"https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2F48hills.org%2F2020%2F04%2Fsupes-approve-bill-mandating-hotel-rooms-now%2F%3F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C3cc52f3bc1fb47a9697c08d7e710602c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637231929823194641&amp;sdata=HZk5ZEi%2BmQTUqo8bCctxW44G0qedwkWJgQXkf0XmFng%3D&amp;reserved=0\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/48hills.org\/2020\/04\/supes-approve-bill-mandating-hotel-rooms-now\/?<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsfist.com%2F2020%2F03%2F24%2Fsan-francisco-hotels-offer-up-8500-rooms-and-counting-for-homeless-healthcare-workers%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C3cc52f3bc1fb47a9697c08d7e710602c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637231929823194641&amp;sdata=nNpBK1C08Z%2BVUlGxbmfoLfR80ln9tRHHXDnh75B5sw8%3D&amp;reserved=0\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/sfist.com\/2020\/03\/24\/san-francisco-hotels-offer-up-8500-rooms-and-counting-for-homeless-healthcare-workers\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reports\n about Santa Cruz&#8217;s failure to empty its dangerous group shelters \ncontinue to be unclear. Can you provide either stats or informed \nestimates in answer to\n the following questions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\nHow many motel rooms are currently available for housing homeless folks?<ul><li>\nThere are currently 27 motel rooms in contract with the County for \npersons experiencing homelessness who are symptomatic or medically \nvulnerable.&nbsp; WHEN WERE THESE ROOMS ACQUIRED?&nbsp;&nbsp; The County is expecting \nto have two more motels ready for occupancy by the end\n of next week, which would provide a total of 112 rooms. We are looking \ninto securing additional sites to provide isolation and quarantine \nservices for unhoused residents.\n<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\nHow many are currently vacant, how many occupied?<ul><li>\nApproximately\n 20 of the 27 motel rooms are currently occupied. Under the \nprioritization system laid out as part of Project Roomkey, the County is\n keeping a certain number of rooms available\n for people who are homeless who test positive for COVID-19, or who need\n to quarantine because of the likelihood of infection.&nbsp;\nHOW MANY OF THE ROOMS ARE BEING OCCUPIED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE VULNERABLE BUT NOT COVID-19 POSITIVE OR SICK WITH SYMPTOMS?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>\n<br>\nHOW MANY (IF ANY) ARE \nBEING USED BY HOMELESS PEOPLE (SAY THOSE IN SHELTERS, BUT ALSO THOSE \nOUTSIDE) WHO WERE IN CONTACT WITH THOSE WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR \nCOVID-19?<br>\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\nWhat&#8217;s the cost of these rooms?&nbsp; How much funding is still available?<ul><li>\nThe County expects to receive $800,000 from the State for all the sheltering activities underway due to COVID19.\nSome of these funds will be used for the hotel shelters. In \naddition to the cost of securing the rooms, the County must provide \nassociated services, cleaning, security, insurance, meals and other \nsupplies that allow residents to stay in rooms and isolate.\n As you noted, we and many others around the state are watching San \nFrancisco to see if they are able to deliver on the Board\u2019s mandate \u2013 \nour preliminary calculations show the cost of securing 7,000 hotel rooms\n to be nearly $1.2 million per day.\nHOW MUCH COVID-19 HOUSING FUNDING HAS NOT YET BEEN SPENT?<br>\n<\/li><li>\nGovernor \nNewsom also announced a master lease agreement with Motel 6 to provide \nrooms under Project Roomkey. It is unclear what, if any, impact that \nagreement will have on Santa Cruz County\u2019s unhoused\n population. <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li> Have all shelter operators (or at least Salvation Army and Housing  Matters) offered its clients the option to go into these shelters?<ul><li> All shelter operators were able to refer their participants to the motel.\u00a0 DOES &#8220;REFERRED&#8221; MEAN THAT SHELTER CLIENTS WERE OFFERED ACCESS TO THE ROOMS?\u00a0 HOW MANY IN  THE SHELTERS WERE NOT OFFERED THE  ROOMS? \u00a0  Referred persons were screened and placed in the motel, first based on  their COVID-19 status and then on medical vulnerability and age,  consistent with the prioritization guidelines  of Project Roomkey.\u00a0 The initial 27 rooms are insufficient to meet the  need; the County is actively seeking more hotels willing to partner  consistent with the terms of the Governor\u2019s program.\u00a0 HOW MANY WHO MET THE REQUIREMENTS WERE UNABLE TO BE PLACED IN SAFER MOTEL ROOMS?<br> <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\nOr rather are only those who are (a) sick and (b) COVID-19 positive \nbeing given that option?&nbsp;&nbsp; Is it an option or a requirement for the \nCOVID-19 cases?<ul><li>\nNo one is \nrequired to go to the motel. The first priority for the motel is to \nprovide persons who are confirmed or presumed COVID-19 positive the \nopportunity to isolate or quarantine. After those needs\n are met, the remaining rooms are offered to people who are at highest \nrisk of severe illness from COVID-19 by virtue of their age and\/or \nmedical vulnerability.&nbsp;\n WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR MEDICAL VULNERABILITY THAT YOU ARE USING? &nbsp;\nIt is important to note that while we currently have no known \nCOVID-19 cases in the unhoused population, Santa Cruz County\u2019s surge is \nnow projected to hit in mid-May, and we must keep rooms available for \nimmediate isolation of diagnosed patients in order\n to minimize community harm.&nbsp; HOW MANY OF THOSE IN SHELTERS HAVE BEEN TESTED?&nbsp;&nbsp;\nHAS EVERYONE WHO REQUESTED A TEST BEEN GIVEN ONE?<br>\n<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\nMost important, is the motel option being offered to&nbsp;all&nbsp;homeless people in these shelters?<ul><li>\nNo, the\n County does not have enough motel rooms under contract to offer one to \nevery person staying in a shelter.&nbsp;&nbsp; As described above, another part of\n the County\u2019s overall strategy is to help\n shelters transition to a shelter-in-place model that allows \nparticipants to remain at the site 24\/7 with appropriate distancing and \nhygiene practices.&nbsp;&nbsp;The\n County will continue\n to focus on serving the most medically vulnerable and those needing \nisolation and quarantine as it secures additional motel rooms.&nbsp;\n HOW MANY MEDICALLY VULNERABLE\n PEOPLE OUTSIDE AND NOT IN SHELTERS HAVE YOU INCLUDED IN YOUR MOTEL \nSANCTUARIES?&nbsp; HOW MANY HAVE BEEN TESTED OR EXAMINED FOR COVID-19, \nSICKNESS, OR VULNERABILITY?\n<br>\n<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\nOr are, at least, elderly and vulnerable people being offered the rooms?&nbsp; What are the specific criteria?<ul><li>\nAs noted, we have moved a number of medically vulnerable individuals from the existing shelter network into hotel rooms.&nbsp;\nWHAT NUMBER?&nbsp; HOW MANY ARE\nNOT BEING SHELTERED?&nbsp;\nThis not \nonly protects those individuals, but also those who remain in the \nshelter network as we increase physical distancing in shelters in \naccordance with CDC guidelines.&nbsp;\nARE YOU CLAIMING THAT CDC GUIDELINES SUGGEST THAT ANY COLLEGIATE SHELTERING OF UNAFFILIATED GROUPS IS SAFE?\n &nbsp; IF SO, PLEASE CITE THE CDC DOCUMENTS THAT BACK UP THIS CLAIM.&nbsp; We are prioritizing elderly individuals\n and persons with pre-existing medical conditions that make them especially at-risk for mortality should they contract COVID-19.\n<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\nWho has these statistics if you do not?&nbsp; What is their contact information?<ul><li>\nPlease&nbsp;see above responses.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li> How many cases of sickness have appeared in the Paul Lee Loft, the Page  Smith Community House, the Laurel St. Shelter, the Armory, and the Vets  Hall?\u00a0 How many documented COVID-19 cases in each place? \u00a0<ul><li> While persons experiencing homelessness have been\u00a0tested and a handful have been quarantined pending test results, HOW MANY WOULD THAT BE?\u00a0 there have been\u00a0<strong><em>no<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0confirmed  COVID-19 positive individuals in the homeless community in Santa Cruz  County. To help prevent persons becoming sick with COVID-19,\u00a0 we  continue to build capacity by opening new shelters (these include new  shelters at the Santa Cruz and Watsonville Veteran\u2019s Memorial Buildings,  as well a transition-age youth shelter at Simpkins Family Swim Center),  increasing physical distancing in existing  shelters, opening hotels for isolation and quarantine, and sheltering.\u00a0   WHAT ARE THE DAILY COSTS OF RUNNING THOSE SHELTERS?\u00a0 PLEASE ITEMIZE THE  COST OF RUNNING ALL THE CURRENT SHELTERS, AS FAR AS PUBLIC FUNDS GO. We have requested trailers from the state to provide additional  sheltering capacity. We are also getting additional supplies out to  people who are still living outdoors so that they are better able to  shelter in place according to CDC guidelines. We  have also conducted outreach to the unhoused population to educate them  on safe practices, including physical distancing.\u00a0<strong>HOW  MUCH MONEY IS BEING SPENT  ON A DAILY BASIS TO PROVIDE FOOD, SURVIVAL GEAR, TRASH PICK-UP,  PORTAPOTTY OR BATHROOM SERVICING, LAUNDRY AND SHOWER ACCESS, AND  ELECTRICAL RECHARGING CAPACITY FOR THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY WHO ARE  CURRENTLY WITHOUT SHELTER?\u00a0 PLEASE SPECIFY THE SERVICES BEING  MADE AVAILABLE AND THEIR COSTS IN EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES.\u00a0 ALSO  INDICATE HOW MUCH OF THE MONEY AVAILABLE IS GOING FOR SALARIES, OFFICES,  AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD.<\/strong><br> <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I am also cc-ing a number of county officials who might be helpful.&nbsp; I encourage them to provide whatever help they can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If\n I can get some simple direct answers, I won&#8217;t have to follow this up \nwith a specific and time-consuming (for me and staff) Public Records Act\n request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For additional information, please also see the County\u2019s Press Release regarding its COVID-19 Homelessness Task Force at:\n<a href=\"https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.santacruzhumanservices.org%2FPortals%2F0%2Fhsd%2Ftemporary%2FCOVID19TaskForce.04012020.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C3cc52f3bc1fb47a9697c08d7e710602c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637231929823194641&amp;sdata=DSqHGSdLa9pldlrscMI4Tj5JpOYSaLuh6kUOKEOykBw%3D&amp;reserved=0\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\nhttps:\/\/www.santacruzhumanservices.org\/Portals\/0\/hsd\/temporary\/COVID19TaskForce.04012020.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jessica<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jessica, Thanks for your answers.\u00a0 I, of course, have more questions.\u00a0 These are in CAPITALS below. I will forward your answers to many others interested in your stats.\u00a0\u00a0 You are also invited to attend the protest happening Friday April 24th &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/correspondence-on-covid-19-and-the-homeless-with-county-healthsters\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4526"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4526"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4527,"href":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4526\/revisions\/4527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huffsantacruz.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}