The Heart of Illinois United Way is partnering with Peoria hotels to relocate some people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kate Green is executive director of the Heart of Illinois Homeless Continuum of Care. She said when someone becomes ill in Peoria's shelters, it can create a strain on space and resources to take in more people.
"A few of them do have the ability to create the space for isolation,” she said. “But a couple of them, it actually infringes on their capacity if they have to take a whole room offline to meet the needs of isolation for one or two people."
Green said the partnerships will allow people to be quarantined away from the shelter, if they become ill. She said they’ll also work to proactively move high-risk people out of the congregant living setting before they become symptomatic.
“We’re looking at the data that we already have on our clients that might make them high risk, and then having Heartland Health Services come in and do a follow up consultation identifying their vulnerability,” she said.
Green said nearly all of the sheltered population fits at least one of the criteria making them vulnerable to COVID-19. That includes being over age 60 or having immunodeficiencies or comorbid conditions.
She said those determined to be most at-risk will be given the choice of whether to move from the shelter to a hotel room.
Green did not name which hotels they're partnering with because contracts are still being finalized.
She said the hotel partnerships will not only help people in Peoria’s shelters, but others who experience trouble returning home after receiving medical attention for COVID-19 symptoms.
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