The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority announced Wednesday that its Continuum of Care Board approved policy guidelines for service providers and for emergency payment to “essential” personnel working to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among the homeless population.
The board directed LAHSA and local public health partners to identify and designate programs and services that are essential to housing people and to keep the programs operational during the pandemic.
Continuum of Care entities operating programs and services identified as “essential” must document and retain the activities and locations where the programs provide “life-sustaining services” to unsheltered, sheltered and formerly homeless households.
The entities must also designate essential personnel required to sustain operations of programs and services while normal operations are disrupted.
Under the new policy guidelines approved Friday, payment for essential personnel who work “emergency hours” will be provided at 150% –time and a half — of their hourly rate.
The policy guidelines apply to all LAHSA Continuum of Care program grantees and subrecipients and will remain effect for the duration of the federal public health emergency declaration or until it is determined by Continuum of Care leadership in coordination with local public health partners and officials.