$2 Million Emergency Quarantine Shelter Opens For Homeless

Greenville, SC: United Housing Connections (UHC) and the Upstate Continuum of Care have been awarded nearly 2 million dollars in grant funds to develop and maintain a quarantine shelter for citizens in the Upstate who are experiencing homelessness and who present symptoms of, or test positive, for the Coronavirus. Funding support for this project comes from the Department of Administration’s Office of Economic Opportunity’s (OEO) Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program. In addition, CARES Act funds from Greenville County will also be utilized. The quarantine shelter will be located in the west wing of the White Horse Road Academy, which is a property owned by the Phoenix Center.

This unprecedented effort requires unparalleled collaboration and cooperation amongst agency providers. Miracle Hill Ministries, United Ministries, Triune Mercy Center, The Salvation Army, SHARE, DHEC and Prisma Health have all agreed to help. UHC will be responsible for grant management and facilities management. Miracle Hill will coordinate staffing and guest services, United Ministries will provide staff support and PRISMA Health will be responsible for patient care, providing PPE, testing and nursing care.

Community partners will serve as referral sources for the shelter including United Ministries, Triune Mercy Center, the Salvation Army and SHARE. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) will assist with emergency supplies and referrals.

Currently, there are more than 2000 people a day testing positive for the virus in South Carolina. The urgency to find a solution for our citizens experiencing homelessness became even more pressing as cold weather and the cold/flu season approached.