Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District, introduced a motion on May 5 instructing the city’s homeless coordinator, with assistance from city departments and the county of Los Angeles, to provide COVID-19 testing at all permanent and temporary homeless shelters.

The city recently announced that free coronavirus testing was available to all residents, making Los Angeles the first major city in the United States to have testing available on such a large scale. Eight COVID-19 testing sites have been implemented throughout the city.

However, some homeless service providers have expressed concerns regarding transportation to the testing sites, O’Farrell said. For at-risk individuals such as those experiencing homelessness, navigating the transportation system could be difficult and potentially dangerous, he added.

“The city has already made sure vulnerable, at-risk residents such as those living in nursing homes receive free testing. We need to also ensure that our shelter residents have free testing onsite,” O’Farrell said. “Knowing your status is a critical first step in flattening the curve of the pandemic and with this initiative, no Angelenos will be left behind, making us all safer in the long run.”

Transgender individuals experiencing homeless may be more vulnerable to the coronavirus due to many factors, including fear or mistrust when accessing primary care due to past negative experiences or immigration status, decreased ability to safely shelter-in-place due to living on the streets, and higher rates of HIV and cancer within the LGBTQ community and the risks associated with a compromised immune system. The motion will be considered further by the City Council at a future meeting.