I applaud the many people experiencing homelessness who bravely & powerfully testified to NYC City Council last week on why they do not feel safe in shelters during #COVID19. Their voices start around 2 hour mark of COVID relief package hearing video: https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=6906&GUID=3A095E28-DEC4-4B6A-A2A3-E5C95F87200D (1/)

As summarized by one woman: “I don’t want to die because I’m homeless. ... All I ask is that you help me. I have so many emails, I’ve sent them to the mayor, to the governor...” (2/)

Shelter residents described lack of social distancing (and why social distancing in shelters is so hard), lack of consistent implementation of city guidance on #COVID19. One woman described her shelter as “a powder keg waiting to explode.” (3/)

Another shelter resident described overall public health efforts to address #COVID19 without adequately protecting people living in shelters as akin to firefighters trying to put out a house fire but leaving one room burning. (4/)

One intimate partner violence counselor described working with women who trying to make the difficult decision between leaving their abuser and entering general shelters where they also felt unsafe (the DV-specific shelters are full). (5/)

If you are not in a position where you have the privilege of regularly listening to people experiencing homelessness (especially if you are in the position of making decisions that affect them) I urge you to listen to the video. (6/)

Side note: if you’re homeschooling your kids during #COVID19, pieces of this video might also be a powerful social studies lesson. I listened while coloring with my four year old. We stopped and talked when she asked “what’s a shelter.” (End thread).