Lyndia Downie, president of Pine Street Inn, spoke with Boston Public Radio on Tuesday about the new set of challenges that homeless people face from the novel coronavirus. Pine Street Inn partners with homeless individuals to provide them shelter and resources.

"We are screening everybody who is coming in, and we've shifted our entire operation to try to get some social distancing, but it's not ideal and we're still very crowded," Downie said. "The people we work with don't have stay-at-home options and this just puts an enormous stress on people."

The novel coronavirus is not a virus of equality, Downie said.

"It's going to hurt the poorest people the most, and the people with the fewest options the most."