Official Memo to Wesley Housing Stakeholders – 3.12.2020
March 13, 2020
Dear Wesley Housing Stakeholders,
I’m writing to update you on steps we are taking in light of the recent advent of the novel coronavirus. First and foremost, we hope that you are taking the precautions encouraged by the CDC and local government health officials; and we hope that you and your loved ones stay well.
Wesley Housing is continuously monitoring the COVID-19 situation, reviewing and implementing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines as well as directives from local and state authorities and experts. We are also consulting with our colleagues on the best practices for the affordable housing industry. The safety and well being of our staff, residents, partners, and supporters is of utmost importance to Wesley. In an abundance of caution, we have instituted an array of protocols across our portfolio to lower the risk of exposure while at the same time supporting our resident populations.
Like many of you, we have postponed planned events (e.g. Stakeholder Appreciation Night),restricted travel and attendance at large meetings for the month of March, instituted recommended protocols for self-quarantining, expanded our cleaning and disinfecting protocols, encouraged increased hand washing and use of hand sanitizers and of course, assuring that employees who are not well, stay home. Wesley Housing has a generous sick-time allowance for our employees at all levels, so we have solid economic safety nets in place for all of our employees.
We have also implemented specific property protocols that safeguard our site teams and assist our residents with accessing critical information and support. While we have postponed our annual unit inspections for March and April, we remain committed to assuring that our properties’ critical maintenance needs are handled and have implemented specific protocols with our maintenance teams.
From a resident services standpoint, programming such as our After School Activities Program (ASAP) will remain active; however, all contractor/external volunteer programming has been cancelled until further notice. Food distributions will be performed in a “crowd control” manner, avoiding long lines and large gatherings; for example, Building 1 (1:30p.m.-2:00p.m.), Building 2 (2:30p.m.-3:00p.m.) or Floor 1 (1:00p.m.-1:30p.m.) Floor 2 (2:00p.m.-2:30p.m.), etc. Further, programming and social activities facilitated by staff and/or resident will also continue; however, participation will be limited to 12 participants or less. We will reevaluate program delivery on a regular basis and make modifications, as needed.
Finally, we are working hard on contingency planning should we be required to implement stricter protocols and close offices and/or specific sites. We look forward to continuing our commitment of providing high-quality, well-managed, service-enhanced affordable housing communities that meet the needs of low-income throughout the metropolitan Washington, DC region. Thank you as always for your continued support for our work.
Take extra good care!
Shelley