When it became clear we needed to respond to COVID 19, Housing Works and Bailey House moved as many staff as possible to remote work. 100% remote work however is not feasible for everyone when you operate over 250 units of congregate housing. So, at those locations we have residential aide staff still providing 24-hour coverage and have at least one case management provider on-site during normal business hours. In addition to their normal role, residential aide staff are screening all residents, staff, and vendors at these locations. For the safety of our residents and staff at these sites, we are not allowing visitors.

Housing staff who are working remotely are engaging clients over the phone, via text messages, and in some cases through FaceTime or Zoom, with an emphasis on engaging them in primary care and behavioral health via Telehealth. 20% of our primary care visits are now via Telehealth. Staff are also conducting wellness checks with an emphasis on anxiety, isolation, and food insecurity. We have partnered with the Housing Works ADHC program and are providing 120 meals weekly to residents at some of our congregate residences while scatter-site staff are delivering food to 25 clients weekly. We track our virtual encounters with residents and have surpassed our encounter totals pre- COVID 19. Other clinical indicators remain strong as 76% of our residents kept their primary care appointments; our Viral Suppression rates increased to almost 90%; and we have increased our primary care enrollment. These gains in enrollment have been largely because residents have switched to our primary care after not being able to access their providers, a testament to our decision to keep our clinics open and the excellent teamwork exhibited by housing, health services, and community partnerships across the larger organization.

Housing Works & Bailey House also accepted a contract from New York City to operate an emergency COVID-19 isolation shelter for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness at this time.

Our Development Projects are moving forward, but with a few delays. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 we are moving ahead with our plan to open over 250 apartments in a little under 3 years. This pandemic has highlighted now more than ever that people need a home of their own and demonstrates what we have known since the earliest days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic — housing is healthcare, and that both housing and healthcare are basic human rights.