San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced $5 million in new funding for measures to protect homeless people and residents of single-room occupancy hotels from the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
The money will go toward expanded cleaning in shelters, resource centers and SROs, as well as expanded meal offerings and shelter hours for the facilities that are not already open 24/7 to encourage homeless people to stay in shelters.
The initiatives will go with a Public Health Order issued by the city's health officer to establish required cleaning and contagion protocols in SROs and other facilities like Navigation Centers, according to the mayor's office.
"We know that many of our most vulnerable residents -- those who could get very sick or die if they contract COVID-19 -- are living in congregate and semi-congregate settings like shelters and single-room occupancy hotels," Breed said in a news release.
"We have to do more to keep these places clean and work to keep people healthy as this disease spreads within our community," she said. "This emergency fund and this Public Health Order are part of our work to respond aggressively to the challenges presented by COVID-19 each and every day."
