This July 24, 2020, photo shows a homeless encampment near a canal in El Centro, Calif. As support services have dwindled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some homeless people in Imperial County have resorted to bathing in irrigation canals. Homelessness looks different in different parts of the U.S., especially in rural agricultural regions such as Imperial County. (Anna Maria Barry-Jester/KHN and the Howard Center For Investigative Journalism via AP)

Elisheyah M., 61, who had been homeless for about a year when the pandemic started, gestures while speaking in Phoenix on May 25, 2020. She was couch-surfing prior to moving into a sanctioned outdoor encampment, located on a parking lot near downtown Phoenix. She hopes to move to a hotel room in the future. Homeless people are among the most vulnerable populations in the COVID-19 pandemic, yet they're largely invisible victims. (Elizabeth Veneable and the Howard Center For Investigative Journalism via AP)

A homeless man sits by his belongings at the Lots, a county-run outdoor encampment in downtown Phoenix, on June 24, 2020. Homeless people are among the most vulnerable populations in the COVID-19 pandemic, yet they're largely invisible victims. Very little is known about how they're faring. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees homeless programs, has not required its national network of providers to gather infection or death data, even though homeless people, unlike other high-risk groups such as nursing home residents, interact more with the public. (Steve Carr/Human Services Campus and the Howard Center For Investigative Journalism via AP)

Tents for homeless at the Lots in downtown Phoenix have tarps or blankets draped over them on June 24, 2020, for an added layer of relief from the heat. Homeless people are among the most vulnerable populations in the COVID-19 pandemic, yet they're largely invisible victims. Very little is known about how they're faring. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees homeless programs, has not required its national network of providers to gather infection or death data, even though homeless people, unlike other high-risk groups such as nursing home residents, interact more with the public. (Steve Carr/Human Services Campus and the Howard Center For Investigative Journalism via AP)

In this photo provided by Tiffany Cordaway, she is seen in San Jose, Calif., on April 23, 2020. Cordaway, 47, was living in a friend's car at the start of the pandemic, while working two jobs. For her day job at a health care company, she wore protective gear while disinfecting medical equipment, including some used on COVID-19 patients. At night, she cares for the elderly. Many homeless people work low-wage essential jobs on the front lines of the pandemic, putting them at higher risk of catching and possibly transmitting the virus. Many who work with these communities are reluctant to speak about this risk for fear of further stigmatizing homeless people, even though they do the front-line jobs others can avoid. (Tiffany Cordaway and the Howard Center For Investigative Journalism via AP)

Sergio Gomes Macias stands on street in Calexico, Calif., on July 23, 2020. Macias is a farmworker who sleeps on the street about 500 feet from the Mexican border. He says the pandemic has made it hard to find food, water and restrooms since nonessential businesses closed amid high infection rates in the area. Many homeless people work low-wage essential jobs on the front lines of the pandemic, putting them at higher risk of catching and possibly transmitting the virus. Many who work with these communities are reluctant to speak about this risk for fear of further stigmatizing homeless people, even though they do the front-line jobs others can avoid. (Anna Maria Barry-Jester/KHN and the Howard Center For Investigative Journalism via AP)

Donnie Settles, 27, stands near a portable toilet on July 14, 2020, which he services for his employer in Arcata, Calif. Settles lived at an emergency tent shelter for two months during COVID-19 while he saved up money for rent. Many homeless people work low-wage essential jobs on the front lines of the pandemic, putting them at higher risk of catching and possibly transmitting the virus. Many who work with these communities are reluctant to speak about this risk for fear of further stigmatizing homeless people, even though they do the front-line jobs others can avoid. (Robert Peach/Arcata House Partnership and the Howard Center For Investigative Journalism via AP)