The impact is even worse as the shutdown orders have closed businesses, as many under-housed or transient people rely on plumbing from public restrooms for basic sanitary needs.

To that end, the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District and Harristown Enterprises have partnered to announce a comfort station in Harrisburg’s downtown business district to help provide those needs to the under-housed and transient community.

The comfort station will be set up at 333 Market Street in Harrisburg starting on March 28 and continuing for at least two weeks. The station will include four portable toilets and two wash stations, and the status of the station will be re-examined after two weeks to determine if it continues beyond that date.

In a press release issued by Harrisburg DID and Harristown, the goal is to help not only with sanitary needs among those experiencing homelessness, but in particular to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“We are all facing challenges in this situation that are new to us,” said Brad Jones, president and CEO of Harristown Enterprises, in the press release. “We thought this would be a positive way to try to help people in need during this difficult time.”