Local officials discussing ways to use hotels to house homeless people during coronavirus outbreak

Local officials discussing ways to use hotels to house homeless people during coronavirus outbreak

ALREADY HAVE POOR ACCESS TOFOOD, SHELTER, AND BASIC HYGIENE-- NEED HELP AS THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC CONTINUES ITS SPREADTHROUGHOUT KERN COUNTY."IT COULD AFFECT THE HOMELESSPOPULATION IN A CATASTROPHICWAY, SO THEY'VE GOT TO DOSOMETHING ANDTHEYVE GOT TO DO IT QUICK."CARLOS BALDEVINOS IS THEDIRECTOR OF THE MISSION ATKERN COUNTY, WHICH PROVIDES FOODAND SHELTERSERVICES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, TOHUNDREDS EVERY DAY.

BUT NOWTHEY HAVE A NEW MISSION --FINDING A WAY TO NAVIGATETHROUGH THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS.THEY ALREADY HAVEHANDWASHING STATIONS IN PLACE --AND HAVE TAKEN STEPS TOMAKE SURE PEOPLE SOCIALDISTANCE.

BUT THAT DOESN'TCOMPLETELY SOLVE THE PROBLEM.THERE ARE STILL LOTS OFHOMELESS IN THE STREETS --SOMETHING THAT OFFICIALS HAVEBEEN WORKING ON ACROSS THE STATE-- IN THE FORM OFNEGOTIATING FOR HOTEL SPACE."TOP PRIORITY FOCUSING ON THEMOST VULNERABLE CALIFORNIANS,100 MILLION DOLLARS IN EMERGENCYGRANTSNOW BEING DISTRIBUTED."GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM SAYING INA PRESS CONFERENCE ONMONDAY THAT COUNTIES AND CITIESUP AND DOWN THEGOLDEN STATE HAVE BEEN WORKINGTO GET THE HOMELESSOFF THE STREETS AND INTO EMPTYHOTELS -- THE HOTEL INDUSTRYTAKING A BIG HIT AMID THECORONAVIRUS OUTBREAKBECAUSE OF A LACK OF TRAVEL.

INORDER TO EXECUTE THESTATE'S PLAN, 100 MILLIONDOLLARS IN EMERGENCY GRANTS WEREDISTRIBUTED FROM SACREMENTO TOCITIES ANDCOUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE.BAKERSFIELDRECIEVING ABOUT 530-THOUSAND,AND KERN COUNTYRECIEVING ABOUT 230-THOUSANDDOLLARS."YOU KNOW ITS GOING TO BE VERYHARD TODO."BALDEVINOS UNDERLINEING IT'S NOTAS SIMPLE AS JUST FINDINGHOTEL ROOMS FOR HOMELESS PEOPLETO STAY IN..."WHO IS GOING TO FEED THEM?

WHOISGOING TO MONITOR THEM?

WHAT KINDOF WRAPAROUND SERVICES ARE YOUGOING TO HAVE FOR THEM?

OR IS ITJUST GOING TO BE HOUSING THEM?"THE MISSION AT KERN IS GATHERINGWITH LOCAL LEADERSTODAY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HOTELSAND MOTELS ARE AVAILABLE ANDWHO IS GOING TO MANAGE THEM."YOU CANT HAVE THE HOMELESSMANAGETHEIR OWN HOTEL."IN BAKERSFIELD AUSTIN WESTFALL23ABC CONNECTING YOU.THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICEHAS ANNOUNCED YOU