Allegheny County plans at least three facilities for people who are homeless or other vulnerable populations who might need to be isolated and cannot remain in shelters amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, county officials said.
The county has secured three sites and is “negotiating with hotels for additional capacity,” said Elaine Plunkett, a spokeswoman for the county's Department of Human Services said via email.
“We have reached out to dozens of hotels and are currently in discussion with a few,” she said.
Officials declined to say where the facilities would be located, citing “privacy reasons.”
None of the facilities has opened, but plans call for the first facility to be open within a week, Ms. Plunkett said Monday.
The three locations would include one for families, one for people currently in shelters or on the streets but who cannot remain there due to underlying health issues but who don't need total isolation, and a third facility that would be for those in need of complete isolation.
The facility for homeless individuals would house about 30 people, and the family site would have about a dozen units. The site that would be located in a hotel would begin with 100 units “but could expand as needed,” officials said.
Shelters that serve the homeless have been working to clean more, screen clients and prevent outbreaks amid the ongoing pandemic, but face a difficult task as they often serve people with underlying health issues living in close quarters.
Kate Giammarise: kgiammarise@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3909.
First Published: March 30, 2020, 7:47 p.m.