King County efforts to place the homeless in hotels to prevent the COVID-19 spread produced far-reaching results. | Pixabay
King County efforts to place the homeless in hotels to prevent the COVID-19 spread produced far-reaching results. | Pixabay
King County has set aside $400 million to help transition homeless people into permanent homes in its new budget.
The benefits of moving homeless off of the street have been seen through the COVID-19 pandemic. A county initiative moved the homelessness out of shelters and into hotel rooms, Patch reported. The county had originally planned to move 400 people into the hotels and to date, there have been 800 who have gained temporary shelter.
The University of Washington and the county’s Department of Community and Human Services found there was a positive impact. Among the benefits was improved mental health along with physical health, Patch reported.
Among the other benefits listed were improved feeling of stability from having access to their own rooms. There was a reduction in conflicts and higher rates of exits toward permanent housing.
"Our service providers met the moment," Leo Flor, the DCHS director said, Patch reported. "They shifted from congregate shelters to hotels on a week's notice, and they kept their residents safe, slowed our entire community's spread of COVID, and tested a better approach that we are now trying to bring to scale in partnership with cities across the County."
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