- Guides and Training Manuals
Date Published: November 2021
This collection of documents and flyers is intended to assist Continuums of Care (CoCs) in implementing safe and effective approaches to winter shelter planning during COVID-19.
The Winter Planning Guide Overview: Meeting Winter Shelter Needs and Mitigating Health Risks document is designed for homeless system leaders and describes an inclusive local winter planning process. It helps communities engage critical partners, project winter sheltering capacity needs, create a Winter Emergency Plan to meet escalating levels of shelter demand and consider alternative approaches to winter sheltering, and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in winter shelter facilities.
The How to Complete the Winter Emergency Plan Planning Guide and Template document guides communities through identifying resources needed to effectively respond to three levels of escalating winter sheltering needs.
The Alternative Approaches to Winter Sheltering During COVID-19 document provides a graduated approach to sheltering from life-threatening temperatures and regular seasonal weather.
The Winter Response Activation and Communications Planning Guide and Template document provides a set of key decision points to help communities define what triggers a winter emergency response and how weather alerts are communicated to key stakeholders.
The COVID-19 Preparedness Checklist for Shelter Facilities document provides a series of preparedness checklists designed to help providers implement strategies for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in winter facilities.
The COVID-19 Informational Flyers offer visual guidance that can be posted in shelters to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Visit the Disease Risks and Homelessness page on the HUD Exchange for a full list of resources related to COVID-19 infectious disease prevention and response for homeless providers.
The contents of these materials, except when based on statutory or regulatory authority or law, do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. These materials are intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.