Homeless: When Staying Home is Not an Option!
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers people who are homeless in the high risk category when it comes to catching, spreading and being harmed by COVID 19.
If you are homeless, you can protect yourself and others by spreading the facts and not the virus. We don’t have many cases in Douglas County and we all want to keep it that way.
There is no evidence that people who are homeless have the COVID 19 virus. However, we don’t really know. What we do know is if we take precautions, like the ones from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can protect yourself and help prevent community spread.
Homeless Are An At Risk Population!
How does COVID-19 spread?
What is known right now, COVID-19 is spread when people touch or breathe in droplets made from someone who is ill. This can happen when an ill person coughs, sneezes or talks and is too close to you (within 6 feet). You do not have to be able to see these droplets to breathe them in.
It is possible to catch COVID-19 by touching a surface that a person with the infection coughed or sneezed on, and then
touching their own mouth, nose or eyes, but scientists say it is uncommon because coronaviruses do not usually survive long on surfaces. However it is best to be safe than sorry.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, nowhere is safe for homeless people.”
The CDC recognizes that being homeless puts you in harm's way. A recent headline claims:
This may really be true. The only real solution for staying safe in a pandemic is for everyone to be able to have a home to stay in. So like most issues related to homelessness, housing is the solution. However, even without housing, there are some things you can do to keep yourself safe. Here are some of the recommendations made by the CDC:
Know the Symptoms
Check Out Your Symptoms
Coronavirus Self-Checker
Find out about symptoms, testing and use the CDC self-checker to “help you make decisions about seeking appropriate medical care.” According to the CDC “This system is not intended for the diagnosis or treatment of disease or other conditions, including COVID-19. This system is intended only for people who are currently located in the United States.”
If You Have Symptoms
In Douglas County:
✔︎ Call your health care provider for advice about what to do.
✔ ︎Call the Douglas County COVID 19 Hotline: (541) 464-6550
✔ ︎Medical Emergency Call: 911
Community transmission or spread of COVID-19 is happening in our community. Community transmission or spread means that we have cases that we haven't found the original source of. This makes it difficult to say exactly who is at risk. Many people may be carriers, without symptoms, or have mild symptoms and don’t take precautions.
DCPHN provides public health services to Douglas County. You can stay up to date about the latest information about the progressive of the disease in Douglas County by staying connected to them. Their hotline can even provide you information about where to get help with health care and other needs, during the pandemic. The hotline is staffed seven days a week, 8 am to 5 pm.
Get More Information & Keep Updated
Your best resource for updates about the virus, as well as recommendations to keep people who are homeless safe. You can get information about the COVID19 and how it is impacting our community, as well as specific information and recommendations about people who are living outside.
If you want to help people who are homeless in our current emergency, you can also sign up with the Douglas County Community Organizations' Disaster Recovery group. They will help plug you into the right place. You can also donate goods. They can make sure it ends up in the right place.
Economic Impact Payment (Stimulus $$$) If you are homeless, even if you do not have an income, you are eligible for the government stimulus check that everyone is going to get. However you might need to submit a form (you can do it online) with the IRS to get your money.
You can get free help to get this money from Legal Aid.
If you are homeless you are eligible.
You don’t need an income of any kind.
You don’t have to file taxes to get money.
Information You will Need to Provide to the IRS
✴︎Your Full name
✴︎Current mailing address.*
✴︎Date of birth
✴︎Valid Social Security number
✴︎Bank account number, type and routing number, if you have one
✴︎If you don’t have a bank account, you can get your check mailed to you
✴︎HFU is looking into whether Prepaid debit cards can be used
✴︎If you have them:
Identity Protection Personal Identification Number
Driver’s license or state-issued ID
*If you don’t have a reliable mailing address you can:
Have your mail sent to UCAN’s Mill Street office (you need to contact them first).
General Delivery at the Post office (you will need ID to get your mail).
Our local Legal Aid office is open for extended services and they have useful information about your rights during COVID 19.
To get help from Legal Aid call:
541-673-1181 or 541-673-1182
If you have problems accessing services from Legal Aid this way, contact HFU, we will try to help with that too.
NOTE: Remember, if you receive Social Security Disability or Retirement, or are an adult who gets SSI, you don’t need to do anything to get the money. It will be sent to you automatically. If you get direct deposit, you will get it that way. If you have a debit card, you will get it there.
