Eugene Community Recovery

Eugene Community Recovery identifies the following areas to increase community wellbeing and respond to the impacts of COVID 19. These areas have been a way to prioritize our work. 

Through our efforts and partner collaboration, the Recovery Team was able to get CARES Act Funding dollars out into the community by the December 31, 2020 deadline.

We've been focused on ensuring equity and access in resource distribution – we know certain portions of our community have had a greater negative impact from COVID-19 and we have been committed to ensuring our resources are going to those who need it most.

We’ve been intentional about funding going towards programs and efforts which will provide benefit to more than one focal area. 

Below you’ll find our focal areas with additional updates on where we were able to join forces with our community partners to leverage funding and support community needs. 

1. Community Data and Outreach

No community is the same and a one-size fits all approach to recovery may further compound inequities across sectors. Many of the community impacts are still unfolding and Eugene specific data is limited. Real-time community needs may change.

In December 2020 and January of 2021, the City put out a COVID-19 impacts survey to learn more about how this event has specifically impacted our community. Learn more about the COVID-19 Survey and see results.  

One of the more challenging pieces of Recovery is getting resources to those who need it most. In an effort to connect people to resources, we created resource cards for our field employees to distribute. These cards are available in both English and Spanish and link to the City’s Community Support web page. 

2. Public Health Support

Recovery can only occur if community members are healthy and have enough confidence in the response efforts to participate. Lane County is the lead agency for public health emergencies, and the City of Eugene is an important partner in promoting public health solutions.

The City of Eugene, in partnership with Business Oregon, offered free personal protective equipment (PPE) including gloves, disposable masks and antiseptic wipes to Eugene businesses and non-profits with 100 or fewer employees.

3. Childcare 

High demand and insufficient childcare options created a competitive and expensive childcare environment in Eugene prior to COVID-19. Health and safety concerns combined with physical distancing requirements has increased this disparity. In order to bolster our local economy, access to childcare is essential to getting parents and caregivers back to work.

The City of Eugene contributed $215,000 in CARES Act funding to United Way to support childcare. This program was leveraged against a donation from the Tykeson Foundation and helped ensure kids had a safe place to get education support and care as while their parents or care takers returned to the workforce; an essential piece of our recovery as a community. 

• Eugene YMCA received some of this funding and served 173 students. From October to December they provided financial support to 68 youth and their families. Of those 68 youth, 25 received full financial assistance and 11 were homeless or unhoused youth. This grant covered 100% of the cost of all-day care for five unhoused youth.
• The Boys and Girls Club of Emerald Valley also received some of this funding. They served 63 students between first through eighth grade. 87% of their students are from families navigating poverty. About half of the 63 kids were individually mentored by a staff member. These mentorships provide kids with a sounding board and person who can help them develop their social emotional skills and grow as an individual.
• Another funding recipient, Discover Champions, served 40 students, ages 5 to 12, enrolled in their program at First Baptist Church. They have been focused on ensuring inclusion of students with unique needs and abilities and these grant funds have helped them keep their cohort sizes small and lower their teacher to student ratio to provide high quality one-on-one care and learning support. 

4. Nonprofit Support

Our community nonprofit sector may have a challenging future due to competition for funding and an increasing need for community support. Many of these nonprofits provide services on behalf of the City to community members.

Once again partnering with United Way of Lane County, we were able to fund small grants to 12 basic needs non-profits who focus on providing support to our community in a variety of ways; from access to food, education, mental health services to supporting vulnerable youth and marginalized residents. We gave $65,000 total to this effort. 

We also supported Ride United with $15,000 in CARES Act funding – this program helped deliver 250 boxes of food per week to community members in need. The effort focused on not only supporting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) families but also delivering culturally-appropriate food.

Along with United Way, we also partnered with EWEB to fund $250,000 in utility credits. More than half of those credits went to residential support while the remaining $100,000 in credits went to supporting local, basic needs nonprofits and childcare providers who continued to provide essential services to our community throughout the pandemic. A large cost of operation is the refrigeration of food for the nonprofits who provide food and meals to the community. Helping offset those costs with a utility grant helps to allow these vital organizations to continue serving those in need. We were able to assist 106 entities with this program. 

5. Housing Security

Increased unemployment due to COVID-19 has decreased the paycheck stability of renters and homeowners. As financial uncertainty is prolonged, affording housing payments will continue to be difficult. A large portion of Eugene households already struggle to afford housing. The impacts of COVID-19 increase the risk of losing housing and experiencing homelessness.

The City’s existing housing programs are essential to this effort. In mid-2020, the Eugene City Council recently allocated additional $839,940 Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 dollars to housing support programs. Additional efforts include continuing to support the addition of new housing units such as the 1059 Willamette Street project which will provide a mix of affordable and market rate units in the center of downtown.

Our $250,000 partnership with EWEB allocated $150,000 of that total to individual, residential assistance and supported over 600 individuals or families in Eugene. Helping assist people with staying housed, especially those at lower incomes, is crucial to our community’s wellbeing. EWEB shared, after the program launched, a customer called to express her gratitude for the program. She explained she hadn’t been using her heater much because she didn’t want to use up her existing energy credits. With people staying at home more and the with the cold winter temperatures, heat this time of year is essential.

6. Job Availability and Retraining

Understanding thriving sectors in Eugene’s COVID-19 economy will help to identify the types of employers and wages we can retain and attract to the area. Focusing on stable economies and mid-level wages will establish a better economic foundation for community members.

The City’s existing job creation and economic development tools will be essential to Eugene Community Recovery. Efforts currently underway include funding to plan for the expansion of EugNET, Eugene’s high-speed internet infrastructure, communicating with local universities and colleges for future job training opportunities, and the regeneration of our Arts & Culture sector which generate economic activity, provides jobs, and enhances our quality of life. 

7. Examining and Streamlining City Processes, Procedures, and Rules

Many different types of businesses and projects have encountered challenges from COVID-19 which have resulted in uncertainty in daily operations, financial solvency, and staff availability. They will continue to see uncertainty rise within their business models as the economic impacts and State and Federal public health guidelines continue to unfold.

A few examples of Eugene Community Recovery efforts currently underway include waiving on-street parking permit fees to provide pick-up locations for commercial businesses, extending expiration deadlines for land use and building permits, and expanding restaurant seating by offering a no-cost Streateries permit and strategic street closures to allow physical-distancing seating in the right of way.

8. Investing in the Local Economy

The City is one of the largest employers in the area. Our workforce represents approximately 1% of the population of Eugene. The City has an opportunity to leverage its buying power, operations, and assets to assist the community in recovery.

Eugene Community Recovery efforts currently underway include the continuation of large construction projects such as the Downtown Riverfront infrastructure, continuing seasonal road projects and large capital projects, as well as smaller efforts such as the Library staff pivoting from their day to day work to make masks and 3D printed ear savers in the Library Maker Space.

We also partnered with Community Lending Works to create Business Investment Grants. We were able to distribute $100,000 in CARES Act funding with these grants which provided support to 15 local, independently owned businesses in Eugene and gave funding priority to BIPOC and women-owned businesses. Spending at local businesses is the best way for Eugene residents to support our small business community. Sales equals cash flow, which is what local businesses need most right now. Be sure to meet mask and distancing requirements when you visit our local businesses.