[Updated Data] Coronavirus in US cities: Residents’ key concerns turn to actions around community solidarity

We see that while topics are extremely diverse, one topic in particular is clearly dominant. Residents have turned their attention to displays of community solidarity and resilience (20% of the discourse) which ranked as the second top concern last week (16% of the discourse). 

In addition to conversations about food donations and fundraising for local residents, residents have turned their attention to support for first responders and healthcare providers. We saw calls for sanitizers, wipes, food, and money for those on the frontlines of the public health crisis. Additionally, considering the significant mask deficiency, residents across US cities have begun to sew face masks for those in need.

While this is an incredible show of strength and character from communities across the country, this is also a key theme that local governments have to be aware of, as there is a real opportunity to cooperate and support communities in their desire to organize and contribute. It is essential for local governments to be aware of these initiatives and their communities’ specific areas of focus, to ensure that their support makes the right impact.

In other themes, we also saw new topics rise to become top of mind, such as a preoccupation with evictions (8%) and logical fears surrounding unemployment (9%). Residents are also actively discussing concerns for those experiencing homelessness (4%). Let’s dive into the noteworthy changes and new concerns that entered the public online discourse this week:

Concerns about Job Loss/Employment 

• A large portion of the discourse consisted of residents’ concerns about job loss and job security
• We also noticed a fair amount of posts from particular businesses which shared information about need for additional workers (mostly large retailers and supermarkets)
• Some cities actively participated in the discourse associated with this concern. We saw some cities’ chambers of commerce social accounts posting and directing residents to job openings and employment assistance

Concerns about Paying Rent/Eviction 

• Many cities have passed policies that forbid landlords from evicting tenants during the outbreak
• Many residents have taken to social media to actively call for a rent freeze or rent strike. We also saw a lot of discourse about the subtopic of ‘rent suspension’
• Anxious and frustrated rhetoric around eviction; lots of calls for action from communities
• Many residents have actively voiced criticism about proposed policies (eviction ban, freeze on rent increases). We also saw other communities utilizing social media to circulate petitions and discuss online strikes
• We presume that this topic has increased in discourse volume because our assessment spanned the end of March, when rent is due

Concerns about the Homeless Community

• Residents are discussing and interacting with city/community-based initiatives to install portable restrooms and handwashing stations
• There has also been notable concern and discussion about the exposure of the homeless community to the virus and potential solutions for mitigating this risk
• There has also been increased discussion in the predicted rise of homelessness due to the economic crisis, job loss, and inability to pay rent

Virtual and Online Public Events

• Many residents are increasingly discussing and engaging with virtual/online events 
• Examples of quarantine socializing range from dj streams and poker nights to charity concerts and city council meetings

Social Distancing in Parks 

• There is a discrepancy across US cities in the policies for visiting parks, beaches and recreational sites and residents are actively discussing this inconsistency and related questions online. Some parks are closed, while some remain open. Feedback from residents is mixed as some claim that people are congregating while others feel it’s important to exercise and breath fresh air (keeping in mind the social distancing guidelines and transmission policies)
• Residents are also confused about what is “allowed” when it comes to outdoor exercise
• There have also been active calls from community members to enforce social distancing at parks. Some parks have even been closed due to lack of compliance with the CDC guidelines

Additional Points of Interest

• Operations of public safety departments remains a top interest over the past two weeks. In addition to the discourse we saw in the 3rd week of March we also saw residents discussing increased police patrols to enforce social distancing and disperse gatherings (especially in light of school closures)
• Support for children is still a key topic, with new discussions bubbling up about how school counselors can support students at this time
• In addition, we see that concerns for local businesses (4%) is still a discussed topic yet less prominent compared to the week prior, where it ranked as the fourth top concern (11%)

As local governments need to rapidly release new services and constantly share information with their community, we hope that these key concerns could help better inform teams on areas for prioritization this week. Clearly, residents are preoccupied with the repercussions of an economic downturn and are also seeking out community building initiatives. 

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