The federal government will be sending money directly to people as part of the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES Act. Local leaders can take action now to make sure their residents keep more of those dollars in their pockets that can be spent in the local economy.  What is Coming  The funds being

Mayor Penny Sweet never expected that in her first year as mayor of Kirkland, Washington she would be leading her community through a global pandemic. The former health administrator and small business owner has lived in Kirkland, a first-tier suburb on the outskirts of Seattle, since 1985. The first novel coronavirus case in the United

We’re approximately one month in to taking Coronavirus seriously as a society. As more and more states and localities issue stay-at-home orders to keep us safe and healthy, businesses are shuttering, and unemployment is skyrocketing. Although protecting the U.S. from even graver and more rampant cases is priority number one, cities are also trying to

Unhoused people staying in emergency shelter, individuals who are incarcerated or living in residential treatment programs, halfway houses and residential re-entry programs are at a unique risk for the spread of COVID-19.  Reducing crowding in these facilities through rapid rehousing, expanded shelter sites and criminal justice reform are essential measures for local governments. Ensuring priority access for those at highest risk for

To ensure the safety and health of all residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, accurate and timely information needs to be made available and readily accessible in multiple languages, including ASL (American Sign Language). Denying equitable language access to critical information, by overlooking the needs of residents whose primary language is not English exacerbates the risk for all. City leaders can set the tone

Last week, the American people came to know the brilliance of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Center for Allergies and Infectious Disease. His sharp mind, competent leadership style, and a steady hand – even in a crisis – have been known to many of us in public health for quite some time. It

Communities with large immigrant populations may be at risk for greater exposure to COVID-19 because of new rules that have been implemented by the Trump Administration. These rules include increased enforcement efforts to remove all undocumented immigrants, implementation of stricter public charge rules and closure of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices which process

Supporting Seniors, People with Disabilities and People with Underlying Medical Conditions during COVID-19 Older adults and people with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and lung ailments, are more likely than younger, healthier people to experience serious symptoms from the illness caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19).  The immune system grows weaker as one ages, which makes it

A historically heated conversation around paid sick leave might come to a boil today, Wednesday, April 1, when the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) goes into effect. Two things will change: Certain employees will be entitled to two weeks (80 hours) of paid sick leave over and above any time already taken off. Certain

Today is the most important holiday of the decade. We only get to celebrate it for about 10 minutes once every 10 years and, for many of your residents, this will be their first time celebrating!   It’s Census Day!   NLC is excited to support municipal leaders with information and tools to best implement Get–Out–The Count (GOTC) plans. We never anticipated, however, that our communities would be celebrating Census Day in such isolated and challenging conditions. Getting a full and accurate count for the 2020 Census was