Snodgrass, JoshMcMullen, Remi2021-07-272021-07-272021https://hdl.handle.net/1794/264471 page.Unhoused populations have significantly higher rates of chronic conditions such as COPD, asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. An unhoused individual who contracts the virus has a higher likelihood of having a chronic condition, and on top of that they are less likely to have access to healthcare. These factors make the chance of severe infection or death higher. This phenomenon was observed throughout the pandemic, as the unhoused community was shuffled around by the Eugene PD, disregarding Oregon Health Authority's guidelines. In May of 2020, Lane County reached out to the volunteer-based organization Occupy Medical and proposed the opening of River Avenue Alternative Care Site (referred to as RAACS) which was to be funded by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). The facility is a quarantine site for individuals who have been exposed to or infected by covid-19 and are in need of a safe place to self isolate. FEMA funding allows the Occupy Medical Board of Directors to employ doctors, nurses, medical assistants, and a janitorial staff. I was hired as a medical assistant at this facility in June of 2020. After 11 months of working with the local unhoused population, hearing personal anecdotes from patients, and seeing how the county interacts with the unhoused population, I was inspired to write this paper. Our community could save money spent on drug related arrests, police management of urban camping and medical bills for the unhoused by allocating funds toward a medical respite center run by Occupy Medical.application/pdfen-USCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Presentation