TABLE 3.

Unmet Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mental health care	“I'm really just trying to get my doctors and stuff, but everybody wants to do Zoom or on phone meetings and it's making it more of a pain for me, because I do not have a phone right now and i'm trying to get one, but I cannot without identification.”
Medication	“I went there one day and they said, ‘you do not have your ID, you do not have your birth certificate, so we cannot help you out.’ I begged him. I was like, ‘man, I really need my medication. You know me. I've been here numerous times.’ They just do not want to help you.”
Cellphone	“Assurance Wireless has taken me through the ringer because one case worker applied for one at one shelter. Then I got moved to another shelter. So, they are telling me I already have a phone and I never received the first phone. I'm just through with the phone calls, the interviews, I'm just, I'm done. You know, it's been real difficult.”
Internet	“I used to be able to sit on the computer [at the library] for 5 hours a day. Now, I cannot even get a computer for 15 minutes. I'm pretty sure it messes up my family. I cannot check in with them and see how they are doing.”
Food	“It is hard. I get food stamps, but a lot of places that used to serve do not even serve anymore…Even the shelter van, does not come around as often anymore…You have to pick up the phone and actually call them before they would come pick you up. Normally, they would just drive around the city and if they see you. They do not even do that anymore…Before this started, you had people coming down to [the] park on Saturdays and Sundays. They would come down there, set up a tent, and pass out food. You had different people coming all day long with food, clothes, shoes, whatever. They barely do that anymore…There are still some places that still do things. You just gotta be there, and if you do not, you are just gonna miss out. You just got to have more of a plan. If you do not, then you are going to miss out.”
Housing	“I was supposed to go to transitional housing. That is how it usually works after you are discharged from rehab, but because of COVID, there are no beds. They are only allowing one patient to a room and they only allow a new person in every 14 days because of quarantine. So, I left rehab and went back to looking for different places to stay and I was on a waiting list for a bed. I wound up missing my move-in date, because they emailed me and I do not have a phone or a computer. I had someone from [a soup kitchen] call for me the next day and they said that they already gave away my bed.”
Financial assistance	“I cannot do nothing without my social…[I tried to get unemployment] and they were like, you have to send your social. I was like, I do not have it. They were like, oh we cannot, and they closed [my unemployment claim]. Yeah. I was just putting in the little times. I thought they would at least come through, but nope, it ain't work. I could not get food stamps. I tried to go to [a program] for the family, to help you get your own apartment. I could not do that.”