WERE URGED TO STAY AT HOME AND

AVOID CROWDS.

BUT FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE, PACKED

SHELTERS MADE TRANSMISSION

NEARLY UNAVOIDABLE.

MANY CITIES USING FEDERAL COVID

MONEY HOUSED PEOPLE IN VACANT

HOTELS TO BETTER PROTECT THEM.

WASHINGTON, D.C. ANNOUNCED IT

WOULD PHASE OUT ITS PROGRAM,

FOLLOWING OTHERS LIKE IT ACROSS

THE NATION, LEAVING SOME HOUSED

PEOPLE UNSURE WHERE THEY WILL GO

NEXT.

>>>> AT MCPHERSON SQUARE, ONCE

THE LARGEST HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT

IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

THE 70 OR SO PEOPLE LIVING HERE

ARE LOSING THE CLOSEST THING

THEY HAVE TWO HOME.

>> PLEASE COLLECT YOUR

BELONGINGS AND EXIT THE PARK

NOW.

>> HE LIVED HERE FOR THREE

YEARS.

HE SAID LIFE OUTSIDE WAS MUCH

BETTER THAN INSIDE CITY

SHELTERS.

>> I'VE HEARD PEOPLE WHO GO TO

THE HOMELESS SHELTER AND ARE

MORE VIOLENT THAN THE STREETS.

>> THESE WEEKS, OCCURRING

CONSTANTLY AS CITIES ARE COMING

AT A PARTICULAR BAD TIME,

BECAUSE A SUCCESSFUL

HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM IS ENDING

AND THE SEA, FOLLOWING OTHER

PROGRAMS LIKE IT AROUND THE

COUNTRY.

DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE CITY

BROUGHT HOMELESS PEOPLE AT

PARTICULAR RISK FROM COVID

BECAUSE OF PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL

CONDITIONS TO HOTELS LIKE THIS

ONE IN SOUTHWEST D.C..

PEOPLE LIKE DEAN ELLIOTT CLARK.

D.C. HOUSED MORE THAN 2000

PEOPLE LIKE HIM AND THESE

HOTELS.

HERE HE GETS HEALTH CARE, MEALS,

AND PRIVACY.

>> YOU CAN ASK FOR ANYMORE.

A PERSON DON'T APPRECIATE THIS,

THEY DON'T APPRECIATE ANYTHING.

THAT IS SAD.

IT IS SAD WHEN IT IS COLD

OUTSIDE AND IT IS WARM HERE.

>> SHE HAS AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

AND HAD BEEN LIVING ON THE

STREETS AND IN THE WOODS FOR

OVER EIGHT YEARS WHEN

CASEWORKERS OFFERED HER A SPOT

IN THE HOTEL.

>> LET ME GO IN THIS YEAR.

GIVE IT A TRY.

THAT WAY I GET TO TAKE A SHOWER,

GET SOMETHING TO EAT.

SO WHEN I GOT HERE, I TOOK A

BREAK FROM MYSELF.

I STARTED RESTING.

>> I OFTEN SAID HOUSING IS

HEALTH CARE.

HOUSING WITH THE APPROPRIATE

SUPPORT IN PLACE IS HEALTH CARE.

>> HOW ARE YOU DOING?

>> DR. CATHERINE CROSSLAND

TREATED RESIDENTS SINCE THE

PROGRAM BEGAN.

SHE SAID ONE OF HER PATIENTS SAW

A HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN HIS HEALTH

AFTER JUST A WEEK INSIDE.

>> HE WAS NOT SHORT OF BREATH,

THE SWELLING IN HIS LEGS WAS

GONE.

THE ULCERS WERE HEALED.

HE HAD ALL OF HIS MEDICATIONS

LINED UP ON HIS DRESSER.

MY MEDICAL INTERVENTION HAD NOT

CHANGED AT ALL.

WHAT CHANGED WAS HE HAD THIS

STABLE PLACE TO CARE FOR

HIMSELF.

>> ANOTHER HOTEL RESIDENT FOUND

THE SAME EFFECT WITH STABLE

HOUSING, HE TAKES HIS

PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE REGULARLY.

>> HELPS ME KEEP MY MEDICINE.

>> HAVING A STEADY PLACE TO SAY?

>> YES.

>> HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO DO THAT

LIVING IN A TENT?

>> IT IS HARD, I WAS NOT ABLE TO

HOLD DOWN VERY MUCH.

>> THIS HOTEL IS ONE OF THREE

REMAINING HOUSING PEOPLE IN

WASHINGTON, D.C.

AS FEDERAL FUNDS DISAPPEAR AND

THE CITY PHASES OUT THE PROGRAM,

THE 400 OR SO PEOPLE THAT STILL

REMAIN FACE ON UNCERTAIN FUTURE.

CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE PROGRAM

WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE A

PERMANENT SOLUTION.

>> CONTINUING IT AS DESIGNED IS

ILL-TIMED.

IT WAS LAUNCHED DURING A GLOBAL

PANDEMIC.

>> DANA IS THE DIRECTOR OF

POLICY AND PROGRAM SUPPORT FOR

D.C.'S DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN

SERVICES.

>> AS WE ARE PHASING OUT THE

PROGRAM, WITH THE PHASEOUT OF

PANDEMIC EFFORTS THROUGH THE

NATION, WE WILL MAKE SURE EVERY

RESIDENT IS LINKED TO THE

SERVICES ELIGIBLE FOR THEM.

SOME WOULD INCLUDE PERMANENT

HOUSING, SOME WILL NOT.

>> ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT

OF HUMAN SERVICES, AS OF THE END

OF FEBRUARY, 60% OF ALL

RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN MATCHED TO A

HOUSING SUBSIDY THAT WOULD COVER

THE COST OF RENT.

DHHS ESTIMATED PEOPLE WILL HAVE

TO RETURN TO SHELTERS AFTER IT

CLOSES.

>> I'M WORRIED THEY'RE GOING TO

PHASE IT >> OUT WITHOUT PLAN B.

>>AMBER HARDING IS EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR AT THE WASHINGTON LEGAL

CLINIC FOR THE HOMELESS MARRIED

-- HOMELESS.

>> NOW THAT IT IS LAPSING IN

MAY, IT IS GOING TO BE A REAL

TEST FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS TO

HOW HIGH OF A POLITICAL PRIORITY

IT IS TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE A

PROGRAM THEY KNOW IS SAVING

PEOPLE'S LIVES AND IS IMPROVING

THEIR HEALTH IN MANY WAYS.

>> FOR DR. CROSSAN, SENDING HER

PATIENTS BACK TO SHELTERS IS THE

WORST OUTCOME.

>> SEEING PEOPLE TOGETHER UNDER

ONE ROOF WITH END-STAGE RENAL

DISEASE, METASTATIC CANCER

UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY,

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, SEVERE

COPD REQUIRING OXYGEN, THESE ARE

FOLKS WHO SHOULD NEVER BE IN A

SHELTER, LET ALONE AN OUTSIDE

ENCAMPMENT.

IT HAS REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE

NEED OF A PLACE FOR THIS

VULNERABLE POPULATION TO, WHILE

THEY ARE EXPERIENCING

HOMELESSNESS.

>> THIS MODEL OFFERS A BLUEPRINT

FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING CROSS THE

COUNTRY.

THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION SHOULD BE

THE END GOAL.

SOME POINT TO CALIFORNIA'S

PROJECT HOME KEY PROGRAM, WHERE

LOCAL ENTITIES ARE PROVIDING

GRANTS TO PURCHASE VACANT HOTELS

AND PREVENT THEM INTO PERMANENT

HOUSING.

>> NO SHELTER SOLUTION, BE IT

CONGREGANT OR NON-CONGREGANT

SHELTER, WILL BE SUCCESSFUL

WITHOUT HAVING A HOUSING EXIT

STRATEGY FOR THE PEOPLE STAYING

TEMPORARILY.

>> SAM IS A PRINCIPAL RESEARCH

ASSOCIATE AT THE URBAN

INSTITUTE.

>> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING A

COMMUNITY CAN DO IS READ HOUSE

PEOPLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

IT MEANS MAKING SURE EVERY

SHELTER YOU HAVE IS ORIENTED

TOWARDS MINIMIZING THE TIME

PEOPLE SPEND IN IT AND GETTING

THEM INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.

>> WHILE D.C.'S PROGRAM IS

ENDING, THE CITY WILL CONTINUE

TO IMPROVE HOUSING OPTIONS FOR

ITS ON HOUSED RESIDENCE.

DO YOU WORRY THERE MIGHT BE SOME

PEOPLE, GIVEN THE FEDERAL MONEY

IS DISAPPEARING, THAT MIGHT FALL

THROUGH THE CRACKS?

>> WHAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO IS

MAKING SURE THE LESSONS WE HAVE

LEARNED FROM THIS CRISIS IS

IMPLEMENT IT, INTEGRATED INTO A

LONG-STANDING SERVICES AND

SUPPORTS FOR RESIDENTS.

>> AFTER JUST OVER A YEAR, T

ANNA WILLIAMS APPEARED

SUBSIDIZED APARTMENT WITH HELP

OF HER CASE ORDER.

>> YESTERDAY I WAS WITH MY

WORKER AND SHE TOOK ME TO THIS

COMPLEX.

IT IS UP BY THE ZOO.

I WANT TO TAKE MY GRANDKIDS TO

THE ZOO.

AND WAITING ON MY INSPECTION AND

THEN I WILL BE ON MY LIFE.

>> IT IS A HAPPY ENDING FOR HER,

BUT ONE NOT EVERYONE WILL

EXPERIENCE.

FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR, WILLIAM

BRANGHAM.