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The Framework for an Equitable COVID-19 Homelessness Response offers guidance on utilizing funding sources like the CARES Act to address homelessness during the pandemic. It aims to conduct emergency measures while planning for recovery. The framework emphasizes racial justice and requires coordination among partners and systems. It is regularly updated and provides tools and resources. For individuals experiencing homelessness, local 2-1-1 hotlines can provide assistance.

Focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the diversion of resources, attention, and efforts away from other critical public health issues. This diversion has led to missed opportunities and negative consequences for various public health domains, such as chronic disease prevention, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and environmental health. This article suggests the need for a comprehensive approach that balances the response to COVID-19 with the maintenance and resumption of other essential public health activities. It calls for increased investment in public health infrastructure, workforce capacity, and policy frameworks to mitigate the opportunity costs and ensure a more resilient and equitable public health system in the future.

Health equity zones aim to eliminate health disparities and promote healthy communities. To create these zones, the Rhode Island Department of Health leveraged various federal, state, and local funding sources. This article describes the program, outcomes and impacts, and advice for local health departments seeking to replicate this model.

Public health funding is traditionally siloed and program-specific. To improve social determinants of health, which cut across multiple sectors, states have moved toward braided and layered funding models. Engaged leadership, shared purpose and vision, formalized collaborative decision-making processes, and administrative procedures necessary to do this work are described in this article.

Community fridges were popularized in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic: community fridge database Freedge showed 12 US fridges in March 2020, and 160 by February 2021. These fridges are open 24/7 and anyone can access them, freely taking or leaving fresh food. Fridges are tailored to the needs of the neighborhood, and operate either more informally among community members, or with 501(c)(3) status and donation partnerships with local grocery stores or organizations. The fridges have been anecdotally successful in increasing food access while complying with Covid safety protocols.

This study examined the sociodemographic characteristics of the residents of Cameron County, Texas, one of the most Hispanic-populated counties in the United States with over 90% of residents identifying as Hispanic. The study analyzed data from March to December 2020, and studied both social determinants of health and COVID-19 mitigation policies, such as the “shelter in place” mandate. The results show that single parents, those living below the poverty level, and those who do not fluently speak English are at a more increased risk of contracting COVID-19. The shelter in place mandate was able to reduce community transmission within three weeks of implementation, but the results of its impact vary greatly by age, sex, and race.

This study details an analysis of data from the University of Maryland family medicine and immediate care (UFM) practices to examine an association between COVID-19 infections and demographic and socioeconomic factors. Results found that Black and Hispanic patients were more likely test positive for COVID-19, and those living in areas with a high Area Deprivation Index score experienced higher risks of infections.

This study looks at the association between county-level income inequality and COVID-19 cases and deaths from March 2020 to February 2021. This cohort study used county-level longitudinal data for all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and D.C. Results showed that income equality was associated with higher rates of COVID-19 cases and mortality. Targeting communities with higher rates of income inequality must be considered to lessen the burden of inequality.

This study looks at the association between county-level income inequality and COVID-19 cases and deaths from March 2020 to February 2021. This cohort study used county-level longitudinal data for all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and D.C. Results showed that income equality was associated with higher rates of COVID-19 cases and mortality. Targeting communities with higher rates of income inequality must be considered to lessen the burden of inequality.

This article examines growth rates of confirmed COVID-19 cases and mortalities over a 30-day period of the COVID-19 outbreak for each of the 100 largest U.S. cities to determine how racial residential segregation and income inequality contributed to health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data shows the growth curve for cases and mortality rates increases significantly in metropolitan areas where Black and Hispanic people are residentially segregated from White people. The article offers policy implications for making virus-resilient cities that are also health equitable.