SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESEARCH
ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS
COVID-19 Response Emergency Shelters – Pandemic Data: Impacts and Outcomes Series
Description Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, BC Housing has been working with regional health authorities, municipal partners and non-profit shelter and housing providers to develop community-based response plans. This includes identifying locations where vulnerable individuals, such as those who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, would be able to recover and self- isolate. These sites are vital to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They allow shelter providers to maintain safe distances between people in existing shelters, free-up acute care beds in hospitals, and prevent crowding. Shelter providers operating COVID-response emergency shelters enter data about each stay at their sites into the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS). BC Housing uses this database to collect information about shelter usage for BC Housing-funded shelters. The reports in this series summarize the data provided to BC Housing during the pandemic period by shelter providers operating COVID-response emergency shelters. This series will provide semi-annual updates during the pandemic. Impact This data helps inform current and future pandemic decision-making as well as emergency planning. The project shows the impact of the pandemic on the emergency shelter sector and how the shelters affect people experiencing homelessness.
NEW PROJECT Status:
Project underway Audience: Non-profit housing providers,
municipalities, provincial government, public, and other stakeholders
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9 HOUSING RESEARCH & EDUCATION PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS | JULY 2021
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