While the attempts to flatten the curve and minimize the spread of the coronavirus to vulnerable populations continue, the homeless community may be left out.
“Our most vulnerable neighbors are living in fear with little to no information or support regarding the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Pastor Paul Bains, founder of Project WeHOPE, in a phone interview with the Spartan Daily.
Project WeHOPE has partnered with the City of San Jose to accomplish its goals of preventing COVID-19 from reaching homeless encampments in San Jose.
“WeHOPE, in partnership with the City of San Jose, has developed a plan to address the needs of the homeless living in encampments, while protecting the community as a whole from further spread of the virus,” Bains said.
Alongside city workers, Project WeHOPE volunteers provide installations of hand-washing stations, laundry services and shower services near 14 homeless encampments in Santa Clara County.
“We are grateful to partners like WeHOPE who continue to keep our most vulnerable residents’ health and safety as a top priority,” said Mayor Sam Liccardo in a March 15 news release. “This is a time for our community to stay strong . . . We are better together and WeHOPE is the perfect example of looking out for all our neighbors.”
To assist homeless communities, Project WeHOPE also deploys the Hope Health Mobile Vehicle, which provides virtual doctor appointments to the encampment sites.
Case managers will also provide hygiene education support, as well as distribute clean drinking water, hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, fresh fruit and healthy snacks on a biweekly basis.
Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, Project WeHOPE and the City of San Jose have both advocated for supporting
the homeless.
“When you have people who already know what needs to be addressed around homelessness, you know, that’s half the battle right there,” Bains said. “A lot of times, cities will put up blockers or they just don’t have the interest to serve
the homeless.”
But Project WeHOPE is not the only organization that is serving homeless people in San Jose.
The Santa Clara County Homelessness Prevention System, a program that provides temporary financial assistance to low-income families or individuals who struggle to maintain their housing, launched a Financial Assistance Program for low-income residents affected by COVID-19.
The emergency assistance program received significant private funding of $1 million from Destination: Home, $2 million from Cisco and other public and private organization donations according to the official news release.
Various public companies and private organizations have pledged $11 million in combined funds, according to the Santa Clara Homelessness Prevention System news release.
Other organizations like Destination: Home, an organization that helps create permanent housing and sustainable support systems, and companies like Cisco have committed to help provide services such as housing, hygiene education and reducing transmission of COVID-19 and funding to make all these possible to San Jose.
David Low, the director of policy and communications of Destination: Home, said that the organization is also setting up quarantine and isolation locations for homeless people.
“Concurrently, we have worked with our public and private partners to stand up a financial assistance program to help low-income residents who’ve lost income due to COVID-19 pay for rent and thus avoid falling into homelessness,” Low said.
Before committing to the financial assistance program, Cisco and Destination: Home had already partnered to help the homeless population in Santa Clara County, Erin Connor, Cisco’s critical human needs portfolio manager, stated in an email.
“This partnership began in March 2018, when Cisco made a $50 million donation to Destination: Home to help create housing for people experiencing homelessness and to prevent at-risk people from becoming homeless,” Connor said.
All $11 million of the relief funds were used to serve as many households as possible according to the homeless prevention system news release.
