FREE DIGITAL ACCESS: The Hamilton Spectator has made the decision to provide for free all local coronavirus articles. If you appreciate good journalism, please subscribe to thespec.com for unlimited access to all articles.

The city says it will ensure homeless residents in Hamilton can access both drop-in centres and self-isolation shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local street doctor Tim O'Shea applauded the evolving plan — but warned the city must also address needs like meals and access to methadone during self-isolation to help prevent a prospective "disaster" for the already vulnerable street population.

Paul Johnson, emergency operations centre director, announced Tuesday the city is working to convert three lower-city recreation centres to temporarily house "street-involved" residents who need to self-isolate as a result of COVID-19.

About 3,000 residents use local emergency shelters each year — and there is nowhere close to enough room at those locations to safely quarantine infected or potentially infected people, Johnson said.

The new "backstop" self-isolation sites — one each for men, women and families — will only accept homeless residents who are referred by shelter officials, doctors or hospital authorities. That means the city will not publicly release the rec centre locations.

"These are not public shelters. You cannot get service at these locations unless you are assessed and referred," stressed Johnson.

"I do not want to hand out addresses to homeless individuals ... only for them to be turned away."

That means homeless residents looking for a place to stay overnight should still head to regular shelters. Officials will screen incoming shelter users and, if necessary, refer them to a self-isolation site.

The city is also working to ensure existing drop-in spots have the resources necessary to stay open at the Wesley Centre on Ferguson Avenue North, Living Rock Ministries on Wilson Street, Carol Anne's Place at the YWCA and Willow's Place at Mission Services.

The city has specifically provided extra cash to keep the latter two drop-in centres for women open through the end of April, said Johnson, while discussions are ongoing with Living Rock to allow youth drop-in services to "safely continue" through the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday, O'Shea, an infectious disease specialist at Juravinski Hospital and doctor with the Hamilton Social Medicine Active Response Team, called the prospects for Hamilton's homeless population "dire" without co-ordinated government intervention.

On Tuesday, he said he was heartened by the progress made so far, particularly on drop-in centres.

"A big question is where can they go to get warm, use the washroom, wash their hands or just spend their days," he said, pointing to the recent closures of city libraries, rec centres and even the offices of the AIDS Network, where O'Shea keeps clinic space.

The closure of many volunteer-run meal programs is also a potential "emergency," said O'Shea.

Johnson noted Living Rock is trying to address that need by offering "takeout style" bagged food options from its location instead of communal meals.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

O'Shea said he is hoping to hear more from the city about how the needs of opioid-addicted homeless residents can be met "in a safe and compassionate way" if they are asked to self-isolate for two weeks.

In the meantime, a Keeping Six outreach team, a harm-reduction advocacy group, will be handing out food and clean needles this week to homeless residents while trying to better assess their needs during the COVID-19 crisis, O'Shea said.

mvandongen@thespec.com

905-526-3241 | @Mattatthespec