New York City's Community-Based Organizations and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Analysis of Local Organizations' Response Efforts and Their Role During Public Health Crises

Abstract

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are on the frontlines offering resources and support to residents during times of distress. Through a community-academic partnership, an interdisciplinary team developed, collected, and analyzed 91 surveys from social services providers across New York City assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their organizations' operations. The majority (93%) of these organizations stayed open during the pandemic but had to shift the services they offered to meet new needs. Although most (89%) shared they were not offering on-site testing for COVID-19, 53% expressed interest in becoming a test site, citing needs such as funding, test kits, and skills-building for staff. More than half of the respondents were eager to get involved in public health efforts in other ways, such as joining local research advisory boards. Despite increasing the services they provided, CBOs saw decreases in staffing and volunteers. Furthermore, although nearly half (48%) received governmental aid, many faced financial pressures and several had to close offices during the pandemic. As trusted resources, CBOs can help meet public health needs if provided with proper support and resources. It is critical that those working in prevention and relief are considerate about how and when they leverage effective partnerships between public health organizations and CBOs, offering organizations the resources they need to be effective in this charge, given the role they can have in promoting health equity.