Amidst rising numbers of cases across Arizona, it is imperative that we continue to be able to give safe and separate shelter to those who have nowhere else to go. But these hotels and the restructuring of our operations, though extremely effective, has had an unimaginable financial strain on this agency.
We know that racial inequity is a dominant and shameful narrative that permeates all areas of American life – and social and housing services agencies are not exempt from this. By transforming the way we care for diverse individuals experiencing homelessness, Flagstaff Shelter Services aims to provide services that are effective, efficient, and equitable.
In our latest round of testing for COVID-19 for our clients and staff, the numbers of positive tests had reduced SIGNIFICANTLY from the previous round. This means that we are on the right track- that providing hotel rooms and finding permanent housing for our neighbors experiencing homelessness to quarantine themselves is the best and most immediate way for us to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
Life looks different for so many around the world as we change and evolve in response to COVID-19. For Flagstaff Shelter Services, our primary concern has been to reduce the number of people sleeping in our group shelter – which has a newly expanded capacity of 170 – down to a number that allows us to follow CDC guidelines for social distancing as much as a group-shelter possibly can. So we started renting blocks of rooms at local hotels, and transitioned all of our senior citizens and medically vulnerable clients to their own individual rooms.
Making sure every person experiencing homelessness in Flagstaff can shelter in place and practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic means that we suddenly have 177 people living full time in a comparatively small space.
COVID-19 took many people off-guard in its rapid spread and after only two weeks, Flagstaff hospitals are already full. COVID-19 patients really have no choice but to self-isolate and try to recover at home. But what if you don’t have a home?
If you’ve never claimed the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you’re missing out on a chance to decide where your tax dollars go — and it doesn’t cost you anything. There’s no downside to donating to charity in Arizona because every dollar you give to charity now will come back to you when you file your…
Ending homelessness in Flagstaff isn’t just possible, it’s very close to becoming a reality. If you’ve ever wondered “How can I help people in northern Arizona?” consider these easy ways to help put families into homes with little cost or effort on your part. Helping out doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.…
I hadn’t been in Flagstaff long when it became really obvious that there are a lot of people in plain sight here who need help. I’d been living on the East Coast where there are easy places to find cover and duck out of sight beneath a bridge or alongside the river. It’s different here – people sleep by the side of the road – living out in the open.