How the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the homeless, and how they're being helped

Dr Deano. Tom, let me ask you, We've got questions here about different segments of the population. Don wants to know. What about the homeless so homeless? I I think it's a great question. I've also have been concerned about that for some of my homeless patients. There are some communities that are putting shelters, tent shelters in place that I've heard about. But I think this is something that every community is gonna have to try to consider it a public health level on what to do to support people who don't have a place to go, since this is probably not going to be a period of just a short time, but for a long time, Where were I'm dealing with Corona virus in our communities? How urgent is the need for the homeless? Oh, it's extremely urgent. It's extremely urgent. Maria Fosca Arenas leads the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. She worries any stimulus and bailout package on Capitol Hill will once again forget the homeless more than half a 1,000,000 on the streets every day in America. The centre wants lawmakers to ensure people without a reliable address will also be eligible to pick up any individual checks given to Americans at shelters, food sites, soup kitchens and pantries. They really desperately need this cash relief. So that has to be addressed. And so far, it has not. A national coalition of homeless advocacy groups is calling on Congress to set aside $5 billion for people who have no permanent home in Washington. I'm chief national investigative correspondent Mark Albert.

Doctors, advocates and others are looking to make sure people experiencing homelessness get just as much help as other Americans. Communities across the U.S. and globe are seeking to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19, a highly contagious respiratory disease. Vulnerable populations such as people experiencing homelessness could face even greater challenges than the typical household, given difficulties in accessing health care, separating from others and more."There are some communities that are putting shelters, tent shelters in place that I've heard about," said Dr. Jodie Dionne-Odom, a physician-scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.A national coalition of homeless advocacy groups is calling on Congress to set aside $5 billion to help people without housing.Maria Foscarinis, who leads the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, worries the pending $2 trillion stimulus bill, agreed to by Senate leaders, won't get checks into the hands of people who need it under the extreme circumstances.To address that, the center wants the checks to be delivered to shelters, soup kitchens food sites and pantries."They really desperately need this cash relief," Foscarinis said.More than 500,000 people live in the streets every day. Many of those are veterans, children or people with disabilities."I think this is something that every community is going to have to try to consider at a public health level and what to do to support people who don't have a place to go," Dionne-Odom said, "since this is probably not going to be a period of just a short time, but a prolonged time where we're dealing with coronavirus in our communities."

Doctors, advocates and others are looking to make sure people experiencing homelessness get just as much help as other Americans.

Communities across the U.S. and globe are seeking to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19, a highly contagious respiratory disease.

Vulnerable populations such as people experiencing homelessness could face even greater challenges than the typical household, given difficulties in accessing health care, separating from others and more.

"There are some communities that are putting shelters, tent shelters in place that I've heard about," said Dr. Jodie Dionne-Odom, a physician-scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

A national coalition of homeless advocacy groups is calling on Congress to set aside $5 billion to help people without housing.

Maria Foscarinis, who leads the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, worries the pending $2 trillion stimulus bill, agreed to by Senate leaders, won't get checks into the hands of people who need it under the extreme circumstances.

To address that, the center wants the checks to be delivered to shelters, soup kitchens food sites and pantries.

"They really desperately need this cash relief," Foscarinis said.

More than 500,000 people live in the streets every day. Many of those are veterans, children or people with disabilities.

"I think this is something that every community is going to have to try to consider at a public health level and what to do to support people who don't have a place to go," Dionne-Odom said, "since this is probably not going to be a period of just a short time, but a prolonged time where we're dealing with coronavirus in our communities."

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