The emergence of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) calls for enhanced cooperation between public health authorities, homeless service systems, and other partners at the local level. To support these partnerships and the vulnerable households served, HUD and its partners are issuing guidance from subject matter experts on best practices and lessons learned.

This digest contains recently published resources from HUD’s Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) and its national, state, and local partners.

New Resources

• ESG-CV State Recipients Office Hours – January 20, 2022
• Maximizing Federal Resources to House America
• Program Transfer Considerations for Households in ESG-CV Rapid Re-Housing Programs
• Qualitative Data 101

Join Friday's Office Hours

Date and Time: March 4, 2022, at 2:30 PM EST

On February 25, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance to adjust the indicators for community COVID-19 levels and allow communities to align public health prevention strategies, like mask measures, according to these levels. The guidance continues to recommend that congregate settings like homeless shelters may need to include additional layers of prevention based on the characteristics of the setting.

This week’s Office Hours will include a focus on strategies for a layered approach to reducing precautions, to help shelters balance new community guidance and on-site safety measures. The session will also feature the following topics and presenters:

• Connecticut Association for Human Services: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs
• CDC: Updated Guidance
• HUD Technical Assistance (TA) Product Spotlight: Addressing Concerns About the COVID-19 Booster Shot and Staffing and Service Shortages

Participants do not need to register in advance. It is strongly recommended that you join the Office Hours 15 minutes prior to the start time (2:15 PM EST). To join the Office Hours, simply access the login page at the link below. The Event Password (HUD456) should be auto-filled. Please do not alter the Event Password when joining the Office Hours.

Additional Resources

• Visit the Disease Risks and Homelessness page to access technical assistance materials from HUD as well as guidance issued from HUD’s federal partners dedicated to preparing for and responding to infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
• HUD is also available to provide technical assistance to our homeless assistance providers who need support in preventing or responding to the spread of infectious disease. Submit your questions to the Ask A Question (AAQ) portal. In Step 2 of the question submission process, select “CoC: Continuum of Care Program” from the “My question is related to” drop down list and write “Health Preparedness and Response” in the subject line.

SNAPS Mailing List Subscription

Stay up to date on HUD’s SNAPS news and updates for grantees and interested stakeholders:

• Sign up for SNAPS Competition Information through HUD.gov
• Sign up for SNAPS Program Information through HUD.gov
• Sign up for SNAPS Technical Assistance Information through HUD Exchange

Learn more about SNAPS mailing lists.