Hotel Rooms, Not Hospital Beds: Protecting People Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020 Across the country, local governments continue to sweep encampments and propose ordinances that would criminalize people experiencing homelessness. But there are resources available. Since March 2020, FEMA has recognized that providing non-congregate shelter for people experiencing homelessness is a powerful public health response to combat the spread of COVID-19. In February 2021, FEMA expanded the available reimbursement for communities providing non-congregate housing. View the full resource page here.