Housing homeless in hotels has proven effective against COVID-19

After COVID-19 forced him out of a shelter in downtown London, Shawn says he's happy to have a roof over his head at a motel, but also realizes it's only a temporary solution. 

CBC News has granted Shawn's request to have his last name withheld for fear that speaking publicly may limit his options to attain more stable housing in the weeks to come. 

On March 20, he was living in a private room at the Salvation Army Centre of Hope on Wellington Street. He'd been there for nine months after bed bugs forced him out of an East London apartment where he was paying $585 rent and had lived for two years.

"I just couldn't take the bed bugs anymore," he said. "The problem wasn't getting dealt with." 

After he left his room on Hamilton Road, the landlord renovated and the rent jumped above $800.

Shawn lives on about $1,200 a month in disability supports for health problems that leave him unable to work. 

"I was in the shelter because I was waiting to find affordable housing in London, which is next to impossible right now," he said. "There's nothing available but city housing, which is slow to get." 

The Salvation Army shelter was working well for him but then COVID-19 hit. Suddenly, living in a shelter put Shawn at risk because the 51-year-old suffers from asthma and bronchitis. At times he struggles to breathe.

"I'm on two different inhalers and it was risky for me to stay there," he said. 

At the same time, the city's homeless prevention team began moving shelter residents deemed at high risk for COVID-19 infection out of shelters and into living situations where they could be safely isolated. Shawn landed at a downtown motel. 

'Things could be worse'

He preferred the shelter, but is grateful to have the motel room during a time of crisis. 

"Things could be worse," he said. "I could be on the streets." 

For now, the city of London is picking up the cost of renting up to 184 rooms at two separate hotels for people like Shawn whose health problems make it too risky for them to be in a shelter. Some rooms are set aside for those who need simple physical distancing, others are used to isolate and monitor people who may have been exposed to the virus. 

A city report pegged the cost of providing the hotel rooms from April to August at $1.5 million. It was one of the most expensive line items on a list of extra supports and services the city is providing to help vulnerable people avoid infection. Others include added staffing, boxed meals and enhanced housing stability supports. All the measures earned support of council at Monday afternoon's council meeting. 

Added together, the total bill for London's homeless prevention response to COVID-19 is $5.9 million through to the end of August. 

London is receiving about that amount from the provincial and federal government to help deal with COVID-19 but it's unclear if that money will be topped up later in the year. 

Craig Cooper is London's manager of homeless prevention. He says talks to continue the programs beyond August are ongoing. 

"The provincial and federal governments are very committed to finding long-term solutions," he said. "They do recognize there may be a need for more investment."

Cooper also said some of the allocation from the senior governments isn't being spent and this, along with already-allocated housing funds, can be kept in reserve in case the hotel stays need to continue. 

"We are managing the allotments we did get to go beyond August if we need to," said Cooper. "We are looking at various contingencies." 

Only 2 positive cases among vulnerable population

Cooper said using the hotel rooms to provide physical distancing for people who might otherwise be homeless during the outbreak has been a success. He said so far, only two people among this vulnerable population have tested positive for COVID-19. Both are expected to recover. 

Cooper also said about 10 per cent of people in London identified as being at-risk of homelessness have been tested for COVID-19. Meanwhile, the work for finding housing for those who need it will continue, Cooper says.

For now, Shawn says he's working on figuring out what's next. 

"I am afraid but  hoping things will work out," he said. "Because with my health conditions I really don't want to be out on the streets."