CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mecklenburg County officials announced Tuesday they will stop paying for hotel space used to house homeless people who contract COVID-19.
Back in March of 2020, county leaders announced they leased a 123-room hotel after nearly 60 homeless people were either suspected to have COVID-19 or tested positive.
The county was spending around $300,000 a month -- largely made up of FEMA funds -- to pay for the hotel rooms. The expenses included the rent, staffing, cleaning, and security.
As of Tuesday, county officials said only a single person was staying in the county amenities. The most housed simultaneously were 10 people, according to officials.
The county will discontinue the payments on Dec. 31, when the FEMA funding ends. County leaders said they are working with area shelters to make sure they have isolation and quarantine procedures in place.
This hotel was separate from a previous county program that funded hotel rooms for residents of Tent City. That operation was discontinued on Sept. 30.
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