Genesis House faces challenges of covid in homeless community

For people who are homeless, the covid-19 pandemic and shutdown provides a whole new set of challenges, according to Tim Rogers, executive director of Genesis House.

It is difficult for people to shelter at home, teach their children through virtual learning or even wash their hands if they don't have a home, he says.

Genesis House, which serves as a day shelter for the homeless in Siloam Springs, had to make the difficult decision to shut their buildings in early March for the safety of their clients, staff and volunteers, Rogers says. Since then, the nonprofit has been meeting with guests in the parking lot by appointment only, ending many of the services it typically provides such as showers, laundry, ready-to-eat meals and transportation.

On June 1, the nonprofit began modified on-site operations between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., according to a social media post. While the building will still be off limits to guests, staff members hope to provide more services in the parking lot, Rogers says.

While at Genesis House, guests are required to wear masks and the shelter will still not be able to provide showers, laundry, on-site meals, food boxes, restroom access or phone usage, Rogers says. Transportation services will also not resume during the first week, he says.

Rogers hopes to use a combination of science, common sense and a little extra caution as Genesis House moves forward. However, in light of the new surge of cases in Northwest Arkansas, the shelter will be taking baby steps to protect clients and volunteers, he says.

Increase in need

Under normal circumstances, Genesis House has about 3,400 visits a year, mostly from people who are accessing day services such as laundry, showers and food, Rogers says. Because those services are not available, the numbers have dropped drastically in recent months, he adds.

Since the pandemic began, the nonprofit has been able to help six or seven families with homeless prevention and has also been able to deliver some food boxes for clients, but funding to put families with children into a hotel is played out, Rogers says.

Staff members have also missed being able to provide hospitality and hands-on comfort to guests, according to caseworker Lisa Burch. She often gave clients a hug or let children sit on her lap, which is no longer possible because of social distancing requirements, she says.

"Prior to this, we would sit pretty close to a person, oftentimes make physical contact, just getting in someone's face and letting them know they are seen and heard. Being so marginalized, that is huge (for them)," she says.

In most circumstances, the shelter sees a mix of situational and generational poverty, but as the millions of people across the country continue to lose their jobs and begin to struggle to pay rent, both Rogers and Burch expect to see an uptick in situational homelessness.

For people who can't pay rent and have never been in poverty before, there is a steep learning curve as they struggle to learn what resources are available and how to access them, Burch says.

Homeless during a pandemic

People who are experiencing homelessness are uniquely vulnerable to the pandemic, because not only do they not have a home, they don't have access to sanitation and personal protective equipment such as gloves and masks, according to Pam Hucheson, executive director of the Northwest Arkansas Continuum of Care (NWACOC), which coordinates the community response among 30 member organizations including Genesis House.

In addition, research shows that the homeless population has a greater risk for underlying medical conditions, which puts them at higher coronavirus risk, she says.

"They suggest you wear a mask," Burch says. "(People who are homeless) are doing well to have food. ... Washing hands and hand sanitizer, how do they do that? If they are sick, they don't have the same kinds of health care resources, and if they do get sick, where do they go? There is so much we are given as far as suggestions and mandates as far as how to handle this time. It's great if you have the resources, but if you don't have it ... there is not an answer."

NWACOC coordinates daily covid-19 calls among member organizations, Hucheson says. Local organizations that provide congregate shelters have also had to take safety precautions, limiting their capacity in order to implement social distancing, she says. Member organizations have also faced other challenges, such as more people who are struggling to find food as well as people who need safe transportation to covid-19 testing sites and off-site quarantine, she says.

In Northwest Arkansas, there has been a significant decrease in volunteers, and many member organizations are either staggering staff or having them work remotely for safety, Hucheson says. Rogers noted that many Genesis volunteers are elderly and also in a higher risk category.

Closures have created additional challenges because many people who are homeless rely on spending time in public buildings such as libraries, which are now closed, to warm up in the winter or cool down in the summer, Rogers says.

Schools act as a safety net for homeless students, and closures also had an impact on homeless families, Rogers says. Currently 128 children in the Siloam Springs School District have disclosed homelessness, according to Charlotte Earwood, director of student services for the district. Much of the problem is hidden from view because families are hesitant to come forward, Rogers says.

Many of those families struggle to access internet service for online learning and depend on the school for resources such as meals, Rogers says. Some don't have an address where school buses can deliver or the transportation to drive to a route, Rogers and Burch says.

Coming together

Hutcheson, who just began her new role in May, has already seen the community and member organizations work together to address the challenges. Over the past few months, NWACOC member organizations have coordinated efforts to provide people with food and cleaning baskets, as well as creative activity packets for children, she says. NWACOC is also working with the health department to disseminate information about testing, she says.

"I really see the community that provides services coming together and working together and doing what we can with the limited resources that we have in addressing the needs of the homeless," she says.

Rogers and Burch are also both eager to begin expanding Genesis House services, but they have the safety of the clients and volunteers in their minds.

"I really want our community and the folks we serve to know we are so anxious to get back in the saddle and to be able to reconnect with our guests and the people who look to us," Burch says. "We really grieve the loss of opportunities to be with them and to serve. As we try to look back, the learning curve is alive and well. We don't want to do it wrong or mess up, to compromise health and safety."