What the Pandemic Taught Us About Eliminating Homelessness

Housing advocates say the additional resources made possible by federal relief funds offer a useful model for improving conditions for unhoused people.

2 minute read

May 24, 2022, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


“For a brief moment in time, funding materialized that cured long-intractable problems like reducing child poverty, funding unemployment at a dignified level and functionally ending homelessness in cities like St. Paul,” writes Bill Lindeke in MinnPost. But now, “The money has run out, and policymakers and shelter providers are facing the grim prospect of going back to the less humane way that our society treated people before COVID.”

Sarah Liegl, the director of the St. Paul’s Project Home, praises the benefits of single-room occupancy (SRO) housing that became possible during the pandemic. “The influx of money taught us there’s a much better way. It’s amazing. Families can come in and have their own room and lock their door, and we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of families finding housing.”

As federal funding dries up, the model looks less sustainable. “Without help, it leaves a bleak outlook for shelters focused on individuals, like the former Bethesda Hospital site in the Capitol Heights neighborhood,” Lindeke writes.

Advocates are hopeful that the success of pandemic-era programs will convince state legislators to allocate more funding to programs that support SRO shelters. “It might be the first sign of possible change in a field that’s long been seen as an almost Sisyphean struggle against an inevitably victorious foe.” As Lindeke points out, “The U.S. government just proved that it can fix long-standing social ills, and the hope is that a large state surplus can keep the county’s unsheltered families in their stable homes.”

Friday, May 20, 2022 in MinnPost

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Dense multistory residential buildings in hilly San Francisco, California.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean

Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

July 7 - The San Francisco Standard

Blue self-driving Ford Transit van shuttle in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US

A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.

July 7 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA