Project Roomkey Was Meant to Provide Safe Shelter. In Vallejo, At Least 5 People Died in Their Rooms.

In April 2020, Vallejo became one of the first cities to opt into the state’s Project Roomkey, a program designed to provide hotel rooms for medically vulnerable people without homes during the pandemic. 

The program was touted as a success by city leaders. But reporting from The Vallejo Sun found at least 5 people who participated in the program died in their hotel rooms, including 3 who weren’t found for days. So how did this happen?

Guest: Scott Morris, investigative journalist for The Vallejo Sun

• Scott’s article: Left Alone in Their Rooms: Death and dysfunction in Vallejo’s COVID housing for the homeless

Episode transcript