How Has California Created Housing During the COVID Crisis?

Since the start of the pandemic, California has tackled one of its largest problems, helping the homeless population. The situation has social and economic consequences.  

Project Roomkey, one the programs has sheltered more than 35,000 homeless Californians in hotels and motels throughout the state, giving people over 65 or with medical conditions a safer place to ride out the pandemic. The second program, Homekey, created 6,000 units of long-term homeless housing in less than six months, by giving cities and counties the money to purchase hotels and other buildings, and expediting the permitting process.

This was an important issue to address given the virulence of the COVID virus and also the high density situation that many homeless people have to live in. One infection could easily become a super-spreader event for an entire neighborhood.

If you would like to read more, this article by Marissa Kendall goes in depth to answer your questions.

Prerana Sangani, MD, March 31, 2021