Options Limited for Area Homeless

March 18, 2020 – The COVID-19 crisis and the attempts to stop the spread of the virus have left few options available to the area’s homeless population.

On an average day, Oasis Day Center at 243 W. Cerro Gordo St., provides a safe refuge from the street. The drop-in facility gives the housing insecure a safe environment to spend the day, take showers and do laundry, receive services like VA assistance and more.  But the spread of COVID-19 and recommendations by local and state officials, as well as from the Illinois Department of Health and the CDC have changed that.

Due to new guidelines, Oasis is now limiting hours to help contain the spread of the virus.  Oasis is encouraging clients who have homes and use the day center for other services to stay home. Hours will now be limited from 8 am to 10 am to allow for homeless individuals to visit their lockers, make any needed medical or legal calls, pick up mail, use restrooms and to pick up donated toiletry kits. Individuals will be limited to one visit per day and the visit will be limited to 15 minutes. Additionally, the number of individuals in the building at one time will be limited per State instructions. The director of Oasis Day Center, Jeff Mueller, says he will be doing nightly outreach with regular clients who have been identified as homeless.

The Salvation Army Men’s Shelter and cold cot program is continuing. However, new guidelines are in place. Those include IDPH COVID-19 screening questions for all men’s shelter and cold cots residents. They will be monitoring the health of shelter residents and taking temperatures. In the event that confirmed cases of COVID are identified in Macon County, a contingency plan will be in place to further isolate residents from the community at large and other housing providers.

If you need assistance, you are encouraged to call 211.  This service is provided by the United Way to help direct residents to the following resources.