Calls Grow for California to Give Vacant Homes to Unhoused People Amid Pandemic

Democracy Now! looks at the crisis of homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic in California, where the number of cases has passed 6,000 with 132 deaths.

The entire state has been ordered to shelter in place, leaving the state’s massive unhoused population extremely vulnerable.

As the state braces for a surge in cases, tens of thousands of people are living on the streets.

A recent study estimates that nearly 2,600 unhoused people will need to be hospitalized for the virus in Los Angeles alone — and nearly 1,000 will need intensive care.

Democracy Now! speaks with Martha Escudero, a member of a group of unhoused mothers, elders and families who have moved into vacant houses.

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