ATLANTA — A committee that was put together under the Georgia Coronavirus Task Force which focuses on the homeless population is starting to see some of the results of their work.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has been working on the committee, said a hotel has been donated that can be put to use to serve those in need.
"We’ve had an angel donor in the downtown area who has donated a hotel to allow homeless individuals who made need isolation or quarantine to allow them a place to stay during that time," she said.
Bottoms was one of several leaders who participated in Governor Brian Kemp's statewide town hall about the coronavirus Thursday night.
She said the committee is making recommendations that relate to homelessness that will be submitted to Gov. Brian Kemp.
“We know that our homeless population is a very vulnerable population just by virtue of the fact that they are homeless," she said. “They often have underlying health conditions that we've discussed that makes them more susceptible to severe illnesses as it relates to the coronavirus.”
So far they've come up with six objectives that they want to achieve.
“Those objectives in included preventing additional people from becoming homeless, supporting enhanced cleaning, screenings, and referral services, expanding testing for high-risk individuals in areas, establishing a recording process specific to homeless and displaced persons, ensuring appropriate options for quarantine and isolation are available and also ensuring that transportation options are available for people after they are released from the hospital," Bottoms said.
The mayor said the actions could also help service providers.
“It also gives our service providers an opportunity to come in contact with the homeless population and make sure we are making available to them additional wraparound services that may be helpful as we try to navigate them away from homelessness."
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