PROJECT ROOMKEY IS HELPING LOS ANGELES COUNTY SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE
LOS ANGELES (May 14, 2020) — Across Los Angeles County, Project Roomkey is temporarily housing seniors and other vulnerable people who do not have COVID-19 stay safe as we work together to slow the spread of COVID-19 and reopen Los Angeles County.
Project Roomkey, which is securing hotels and motel rooms for vulnerable people experiencing homelessness, aims to not only protect high-risk individuals, but to also prevent the spread of the deadly virus in our communities and protect the capacity of our hospitals and healthcare system. As L.A. County moves toward reopening, one of the prerequisites is making sure vulnerable people are protected, and that is the goal of Project Roomkey.
“The individuals who are temporarily housed in Project Roomkey locations are not infected with COVID-19 but they risk serious complications if they were to become infected,” said Heidi Marston, interim executive director of LAHSA. “We must prevent as many vulnerable people as possible from contracting this virus and the safest and most effective way to do that for people experiencing homelessness is to provide temporary shelter. That way, they do not risk contracting the virus and spreading it to others.”
“The San Gabriel Valley has been a resource desert for too long, especially since the majority of residents are Asian and Latino who have a deep devotion to their elders. Project Roomkey is the perfect partnership with its prioritization to help seniors, collaboration with small business owners and emphasis on protecting the public health of the community,” said Calvin Chan, Major Gifts Officer, Union Station Homeless Services, and long-time San Gabriel Valley resident. Union Station is providing services at two Project Roomkey sites in the San Gabriel Valley.
There are 30 Project Roomkey sites temporarily housing nearly 2,000 vulnerable people.
To qualify to participate in Project Roomkey, individuals experiencing homelessness must be over 65 years old or have medical issues, such as cancer, that make them vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and needing intensive medical care.
Every site has 24/7 security, food and services are provided on site and participants are monitored for symptoms of COVID-19.
Because Project Roomkey, a statewide initiative, is temporary, on-site service providers are working with each client individually to develop a plan with the goal of moving them to a situation that permanently resolves their homelessness.
Separate from Project Roomkey, the County has also set up quarantine and isolation locations for people who have been exposed to COVID-19.
