The Effects of COVID-19 on The Homeless

The Effects of COVID-19 on The Homeless

May,5,2020  |  Blog Post 

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Key Insight

“The coronavirus closures have magnified societal problems that already exist. In these challenging times, it is essential to understand the difficulties that marginalized and underserved communities face.”

While many citizens are adhering to the stay at home policy enacted by government officials and COVID-19 health experts, the homeless around Chicago are facing an entirely different challenge. Social distancing is a luxury the homeless cannot afford. Homeless youth face even more significant challenges as housing, one of the only stable portions of their lives, has come to a halt. In these challenging times, it is essential to understand the difficulties that marginalized and underserved communities face.

According to Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services, 5,290 Chicagoans were homeless in 2019. Seventy-six percent resided in shelters while the remaining twenty-four percent resided on the street or other areas not fit for human habitation. However, this does not account for those who have been “doubled-up” (living with family, friends, or other non-relatives). Due to many public spaces closing around Chicago, homeless shelters have been more populated during both day and night. With beds being roughly 2 feet away from each other, testing still not easily accessible, and shelters running at full capacity, the chances of  COVID-19 spreading is alarmingly high. To combat this, the city has partnered with the YMCA to provide more shelter space. According to the Chicago Tribune, on Mach 27th, 164 people younger than 60 with no signs of COVID-19 were moved into new shelters in order to help combat the virus. In addition, 900 new beds will be eventually sent to shelters, and 100 individuals who have been deemed “high-risk” have been moved to hotels rented by the city. As Chicago begins to take more precautions to help reduce the risk of contraction, many still fear what can be done for them.

Homeless youth may also struggle to obtain a stable learning environment. With schools closing for the rest of the school year, a large population of students may be without access to the internet, a computer, or other educational tools needed for learning. In an article published by the Chicago Sun-Times, 11-year-old Mariah Bingham shares her story of what it’s like to be one of the many homeless students in  Chicago Public Schools. She and her mother talk about their rapid consumption of hand soap and their attempt to make homemade hand sanitizer. They also express their fear of having an increased risk of contraction due to their existing conditions of asthma and diabetes.  Alyssa Philips, an education attorney with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, expresses how  “It becomes so hard to focus on basic learning because you are just trying to survive.”

As stated by Philips, “the coronavirus closures have magnified societal problems that already exist.” The problems that many homeless face, such as their safety and whether their children will get an education, is nothing new. COVID-19 has created new challenges to problems that have been within our society for quite some time. Many are fighting for their right to improve their quality of life, but without action, coronavirus will continue to bring change to a screeching halt.

Author

Brennan Ephgrave

Analyst at CHI