After a productive year in 2019, we are confronting the coronavirus pandemic which has wreaked havoc on the City economy and, as of the summer of 2020, has claimed the lives of 23,000 seniors, first responders, essential workers and others. Already, more than one million jobs have been lost in New York City from nearly all economic sectors, including restaurant and hospitality, theatre, trade, transportation, healthcare, professional businesses and education. By June, the unemployment rate had reached more than 20 percent, double that of the Great Recession of 2008-2009. Not surprisingly, one in four tenants had not paid rent during April, May or June, according to the Community Housing Improvement Program, an association of building landlords and managers of 400,000 rent-stabilized apartments. Undoubtedly, matters will be made worse when the Governor’s moratorium on evictions expires and thousands of households in New York City lose their $600-a-week CARES unemployment insurance benefits.

The Bridge Fund of New York City wasted no time responding creatively and decisively to the pandemic. By mid-March, all staff members were given remote access to program files and data and were serving clients from home. For the first time ever, the program provided, via email and post, supermarket gift cards to clients from vendors such as Whole Foods, Morton Williams, ShopRite, Target and Costco. We expanded our client eligibility criteria to provide short-term rent subsidies to households awaiting sufficient unemployment income and to first responders and essential workers, who despite being gainfully employed, were experiencing financial hardship because of added child care, transportation and other work-related costs. Through our two listservs, we have been regularly emailing updates to referral sources about our expanded services and intake procedures, and have also been emailing vital information to clients on such topics as free COVID-19 testing, the State’s Rent Relief Program, food distribution sites operated by the Board of Education, the extended July 15th tax filing deadline, and more.

Already, we are looking ahead and reaching out to Workforce 1 (City government), LaGuardia Community College and other area schools, plus private sources, to ascertain what courses and job training programs are, or will soon be, operational and able to accept applicants. More than ever, we want to tap these resources to help our clients prepare for, and reconnect with, the job market so they can improve their finances and ability to hold onto their housing long after our initial intervention.

We are now implementing a new service designed to improve the work skills and earning potential of willing clients. Learn more about The Bridge Fund’s Income Growth Initiative.