By providing support for workers and small businesses, local governments will play a crucial role in weathering the virus and stabilizing the economy.
“[L]ocal governments are well-positioned to step in with economic aid in the near-term,” according to an article by Joseph Parilla for Brookings, filling in for federal and state levels of government in critical areas of economic stabilization.
“Worker protections are a critical first step in any city-level economic stabilization plan,” according to Parilla, who lists efforts in Washington, D.C., California, and Washington to provide unemployment insurance for workers who can’t work due to quarantine or shelter in place orders.
“The second major policy response among cities has been small business stabilization,” adds Parilla. Examples of small business stabilization listed by Parilla include a move by Seattle to defer business and occupation taxes for eligible businesses, expand its Small Business Stabilization Fund, and “provide technical assistance to business owners seeking relief from the U.S. Small Business Administration.”
Key to all local efforts, and Parilla lists more in the source article, is the need to move quickly. “According to the JPMorgan Chase Institute, 47% of small businesses have less than two weeks of cash liquidity on hand, with restaurants and retail operating at the slimmest margins.”
FULL STORY: How cities are helping workers and small businesses during the coronavirus crisis
Housing Market Showing Signs of the Coronavirus Pandemic
A high-ranking federal official also issued a warning about the potential for the pandemic to affect mortgage borrowers.
Fiscal Effects of the Pandemic Depend on Tax Structures
Cities that rely on sales and income tax revenues to fund vital local services can expect immediate fiscal consequences from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Historical Effect of Pandemics on the Economy and the Housing Market
Research into previous pandemics, like SARS in 2003, the Spanish Flu in 1918, and the early months of COVID-19 in China, offers insight into what to expect for the economy and the housing market during and after the current pandemic.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions