Community Action Study Examines Impact of COVID-19 on Low-Income Families and Communities in North Carolina
A new report from the North Carolina Community Action Association (NCCAA) explored the impact of COVID-19 on low-income families in North Carolina. The NCCAA conducted this study to understand how the pandemic has affected their efforts to combat poverty and facilitate self-sufficiency in low-income communities. The report consists of findings from a focus group with low-income families throughout the state and insights from interviews with local leaders in low-income communities served by Community Action Agencies. The study concluded that COVID-19 exacted a disproportionately heavy toll on low-income families, especially in terms of both exposure to and deaths from the coronavirus. The pandemic also created major employment challenges and forced low-income households to make difficult decisions and choices regarding work versus personal safety and the health and wellbeing of their families. The shift to remote learning during the pandemic also shed new light on deficiencies in the availability, access, quality, and cost of internet services for low-income families. While government safety-net programs provided essential assistance, they did not fully address the many needs of low-income households. Nonprofits also increased their efforts to provide a wide breadth of support and both local governments and nonprofits were obligated to better collaborate to meet the needs of their communities.