Communities in Crisis: Social Responses and Housing Instability During COVID-19 Explained by Experts

With the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact being felt in every area of American life, it is more important than ever to provide rigorous research to inform reporting on this crisis. To meet this growing need, Scholars Strategy Network has compiled a list of scholars who are available to be contacted for comments and analysis. Below are the scholars who can comment on the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations.

You can connect with all researchers available to comment on the COVID-19 pandemic here.

George Washington University

"People assume that the lives of individuals and families become miraculously stable in times of a pandemic - that sheltering in place, particularly for people who are experiencing issues such as rental evictions, foreclosures, and homelessness can actually be done. In the wake of this global emergency, we need to make sure that people who are experiencing housing transitions are able to keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe by having a place to self-isolate and not worry at the end of the day whether they will be kicked out of those places."

New York University
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“One thing I’ve learned from past crises: A key function of government leadership is put people with different types of expertise and resources into one coordinated planning effort, so they come up with solutions that make sense for both human health and the economy, not just one or the other.”

Cleveland State University
Hatch

"While necessary to save lives, social distancing and the closing of restaurants, bars, gyms, and more is going to hurt a lot of people without savings. I believe we need to halt evictions so these people aren't hurt more by losing their homes."

College of the Holy Cross

"International calls for social distancing are necessary, but they should also encourage collective-care, rather than just self-care. We can actually strengthen our social ties and reduce our social isolation by relying on each other through talk, text, social media, and snail mail."

Rutgers University-Camden
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"I'm worried about the many people who can't isolate at home, such as people who are homeless, people who can't work remotely, or people who can't afford to stock up for a few weeks on food and essentials -- and all this is happening with a weak safety net. For example, there is recognition that some kids need the food they normally get at school, but what about the need for families to pay rent, to buy medication?"

RTI International
Comfort

"Our team is conducting an ongoing study involving unhoused and unstably housed women in the San Francisco Bay Area; the majority of our study participants have chronic health conditions and nearly half have been diagnosed with a respiratory problem, nearly a quarter are age 55 and older. We have been documenting a lack of accurate information about COVID-19 among these highly vulnerable women."

Suffolk University
Sered

Sered’s work explores how individuals and groups experience illness, death and suffering, as well as the ways in which powerful institutions manage, or do not manage, to exert control over those experiences.