Reducing disaster vulnerability for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic requires adapting existing preparedness guidance to an evolving situation. This rapid expert consultation reviews research on disaster vulnerability, homelessness, the COVID-19 pandemic, and intersecting hazards and disasters. It includes (1) considerations for alternative shelter facilities for homeless populations during a disaster, (2) suggestions on how to navigate service reductions and support population-specific needs, and (3) guidance for supporting populations experiencing homelessness in the aftermath of disasters.
The use of alternative shelter facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic presents new challenges for emergency planners; local decision makers; providers of homeless services; and individuals and organizations embedded in continuums of care that need to take steps to create and implement disaster preparedness, response, and recovery plans, for both their organizations and the people they serve. During the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions to key services for populations experiencing homelessness may lead to secondary effects in the context of a disaster, including effects on health and safety, which require additional population-specific support. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated disaster vulnerability for many individuals and communities, and as a result, additional strategies are needed for addressing housing precarity and removing barriers to disaster assistance in the aftermath of a disaster.