August 27, 2020

While states and cities await the full $4 billion federal allocation for homeless-specific programs provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, temporary shelters and health supplies provided by localities are dwindling because of resource shortages. Critics say policies to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic are caused by unpreparedness, insufficient data, and limited capacity for testing and tracing.

Housing advocates in New Orleans, Louisiana, report some landlords are taking advantage of weak tenant rights by refusing to address health and safety complaints, such as crumbling ceilings and black mold, until a tenant pays rent. Low-income tenants’ lack of savings, unreturned deposits, and their economic hardships caused by the pandemic make it difficult for them to move, causing some to “[stay] in pretty terrible conditions because it is better than sleeping in their car,” stated Amanda Golob, a housing lawyer for Southeast Louisiana Legal Services.

A recent study of 100 US cities found that formerly redlined neighborhoods, which are more likely to remain lower-income and have Black and Latinx residents, are on average five degrees hotter in summer than nonredlined neighborhoods. As climate change exacerbates heat waves, cities such as Richmond, Virginia, choose to incorporate racial equity into climate plans. “We can see that racial equity and climate equity are inherently entwined, and we need to take that into account when we’re building our capacity to prepare,” said Alicia Zatcoff, Richmond’s sustainability manager. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, America’s more than 15,000 nursing homes, 29,000 residential care communities, and 28,900 assisted-living facilities must confront the increased health vulnerabilities of older residents and building designs that exacerbate risk. The highly contagious nature of COVID-19 has forced many facilities to adopt emergency isolation measures, including banning visitors and closing communal spaces. Moving forward, providers are exploring residential alternatives that experiment with smaller “pod style” facilities, integrated support services for low-income seniors, and improved technology that supports aging in place.