LA To Distribute Hand Sanitizer To The Homeless

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles City Council members Monica Rodriguez and Mitch O'Farrell announced Thursday that the city is distributing hand- sanitizing stations to homeless encampments to help protect the residents from the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"It is critical to do everything possible to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus," said Rodriguez, who is the chair of the City Council's Public Safety Committee. "We recognize the immediate threats posed to individuals who do not have access to adequate resources. Therefore, we are immediately deploying these resources to fight the virus."

The council members filed a motion to have the stations placed at encampments on March 4, and Rodriguez said she plans to expand the effort and install sanitizing stations at bus shelters across the city.

"I want to ensure we have the necessary hygiene stations and resources available from our local and federal partners to address this rapidly moving, urgent public health crisis," said O'Farrell, who is the chair of the council's Homelessness and Poverty Committee.

Tran Le, a spokesperson for Rodriguez, said the city is going to start distributing 125 hand sanitizer stations throughout the city at homeless encampments, and city officials are trying to secure about 100 more. Le said the locations of the encampments have been identified by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which keeps track of known encampments.

According to the latest available numbers provided by the county, the city of Los Angeles has about 36,000 homeless people, many of whom are unsheltered. The county has just under 59,000.

City News Service