COVID-19:
Views from our Fellows
on Economic Impacts
Interview: On the Front Lines of the Fight Against COVID-19's Economic Damage
April 27, 2020
As they were in the 2008 collapse, largely financial agencies — Housing and Urban Development and Small Business Administration — have become first responders. First economic responders, thanks to the series of money-printing bills Congress is passing. For some insight on how they might cope, former HUD chief financial officer, now managing director for the public sector at Grant Thornton, Doug Criscitello joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Rutgers Workforce Expert, Carl Van Horn, Shares Resources and Guidance for Those Recently Unemployed or Facing Layoffs
April 16, 2020
The COVID-19 global pandemic has left a record-number 22 million people – including over 700,000 within New Jersey – without jobs, wondering what the new normal will be when it comes to the economy and job-seeking in the future.
Carl Van Horn, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and the founding director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers’ Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and a senior advisor to Gov. Phil Murphy talks about the current labor market and offers advice to those recently unemployed or facing layoffs.
The Coronavirus Stimulus Is Playing Hard to Get
April 13, 2020
Kaula Carr’s job in Arizona disappeared in March when the restaurant where she worked laid off staff members in response to the coronavirus crisis.
She and her young daughter are eligible for public assistance, ranging from food stamps to Medicaid, to help soften the blow. But after Ms. Carr spent hours filling out forms and uploading dozens of documents, the online system crashed. “I want to cry,” she texted her aunt. “They make it impossible to actually get assistance.”
Ms. Carr is one of the millions of Americans discovering the gap between the promise of public programs and the reality of their design, which makes it hard to get help. The short-term result will be unmet needs, a stymied economic recovery, and profound frustration. The long-term result should be a reconfiguration of how we administer the safety net in the United States.
Impact of COVID-19 on Federal Real Estate
March 30, 2020
As the nation continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, and with much of the country on lockdown, it may seem like we are living in unprecedented times. There are many open questions about the current public health situation, the outlook on the U.S. economy, and the capacity of the Federal Government to address these challenges. But there is some historical precedent for the magnitude of the national crisis we are experiencing today. Our nation has experienced previous shocks to the system, which have been followed by a strong and sustained Federal response to these major events. It is important to understand how the Federal Government has responded to previous crises and the implications for government real estate.
As we try to make sense of our current situation, and as we consider the longer-term Federal impact, the events of September 11, 2001, come to mind. After the attacks, there was a significant expansion of Federal activity and spending to prevent future terrorist attacks at home and abroad.