You are here

Letter to SHA residents

Letter to SHA residents

SHA measures to fight the spread of coronavirus

Somali (Af-Soomaali | Tigrinya (ትግርኛ)

March 9, 2020

Dear SHA Residents:

The Seattle Housing Authority is committed to doing everything we can to ensure the health and well-being of our residents. We want to keep you informed about SHA’s response to the presence in the Seattle region of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. We are taking extra measures, including frequent sanitation of common areas in SHA buildings and asking residents to call or email rather than visit our offices in person. The following actions are designed to help keep our tenants, staff, partners and communities safe.

Staying home if ill

  • SHA has instructed all staff who are ill, or have an ill family member, not to come to work until they have been symptom-free for at least three days.

Social distancing

  • SHA is reducing person-to-person contact by asking staff whose jobs enable them to perform their work online from home to do so.
  • Staggered start times are offered to staff to reduce travel on congested transit.
  • SHA is postponing non-essential meetings and encouraging staff to conduct meetings as much as possible by telephone or online.
  • SHA is asking residents to conduct business with SHA by phone, email or the website to reduce opportunities for the virus to spread.
  • SHA is ensuring adequate staffing to respond to an increase in residents who contact us by phone, email or the Contact Us page of our website at seattlehousing.org. Residents who wish can call or email their property manager, or can call 206.239.1589 if they don’t have that contact information.

Sanitation

  • SHA has instructed staff on additional personal sanitation practices to ensure they are not transferring viruses to themselves or others.
  • SHA is now cleaning common areas of buildings at least daily, sanitizing door handles, railings, bathrooms, elevator buttons and other frequently touched surfaces.

SHA is currently operating on normal hours and has not closed any of its offices or services. We will notify you if this changes. Some meetings, classes, workshops and other activities at SHA locations may be canceled or postponed; please check with the organizers of these activities.

The spread of COVID-19 is a public health issue. To stay informed or ask questions, you should contact:

Public Health - Seattle & King County (https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health.aspx)

Phone: 206.477.3977

WA State Department of Health (https://www.doh.wa.gov/emergencies/coronavirus)

Phone: 1.800.525.0127, press #. 

We know the COVID-19 virus is causing great concern and want you to know that we share that concern. SHA is taking the situation very seriously and is closely monitoring developments. We will adjust our operations further as needed and will keep you informed of any additional changes we may make to protect our residents.

Sincerely,

Andrew Lofton

Executive Director