A media source by and for the Cleveland neighborhood of West Park
The City of Cleveland continues to take numerous precautions across multiple departments and divisions amid increasing cases of coronavirus (COVID-19). Mayor Frank G. Jackson has extended the Proclamation of Civil Emergency through April 30, 2020. Click here to view the mayor’s declaration. Essential services such as Police, Fire, EMS, waste collection and Utilities are operational. Read […]
Telemedicine appointments are now available via Neighborhood Family Practice (NFP).
A telemedicine appointment allows a patient to utilize video and/or audio to meet with an NFP provider virtually or remotely.
Originally, say officials from NFP, restrictions made it difficult for urban providers to offer telemedicine.
“A lot of focus has been expanding this broadband to rural areas,” says NFP’s Assistant Medical Director of Medical Informatics Chad Garven, MD. “It was originally used to get access to more rural patients…”
However, in light of COVID-19, things have changed― and fast.
“What happened in mid-March is, it became alarmingly clear that just about any in-person interaction is going to be not only unsafe for patients, but potentially for our staff.”
As officials at NFP began looking at how a digital platform could work for them, laws in place regarding telemedicine changed as well.
“The laws became a lot less restrictive. There was not a distance qualifier, as far as ‘could the provider be near a patient but on a virtual platform?’ That was one of the ones that made a lot of sense for our urban population, particularly where our clinics are located,” says Garven.
“It was a combination of safety concerns but then sort of our mission, which is to care for this near-West Side that otherwise often goes uncared for or underappreciated. We said we have to do something. And by virtue of necessity, sort of jumped at that opportunity.”
“We completed a strategic plan about six months ago,” says NFP President and CEO Jean Polster. “We looked at telemedicine and what we were really thinking about is that the laws were super restrictive in terms of being able to bill for telemedicine.”
“We were thinking about it more as how are we going to get patients connected with specialty care? And maybe ways that they would be able to stay in our offices but still see a specialist because our patients are most comfortable in our location.”
In July reimbursement opened up, says Polster, loosening some of those restrictions. But even then, she says, restrictions still remained when it came to urban vs. rural access.
“I just have to give a shout out to the handling of the crisis by our Governor DeWine and his director of the Department of Health Dr. Amy Acton. One of the first things they did, when they saw this happening, is, not only did they open up the ability to do remote access for appointments― and not only for behavioral health, which is really where there had been the most telehealth in the state going on prior― but they just threw all the regulations aside and said go for it. Serve your patients in the best way that you can.”
It was about helping patients while maintaining their safety, which meant keeping them out of public spaces as much as possible.
“Within a week we were able to develop these applications and teach folks how to use some of the applications,” says Polster. “But it was a pivot. It took us a week to make the pivot and it would have taken us months, if not years, to make that pivot in a non-crisis situation.”
According to Garven, around 90-percent of NFP visits are now telemedicine based.
“It is a video platform and it visually looks like what a Facetime or Skype or Zoom call would look like,” he says.
Many of the telemedicine health processes are the same as an in-office visit. There is a registration process, and a medical assistant will talk to the patient about their medications and acute issues.
It is also convenient, as there is no driving to the facility or hanging out in the waiting room.
“The no show rate has rapidly declined,” says Garven.
“We are excited to accept new patients,” says Polster. “We definitely want to serve more people in the community. We do have the capacity to serve more people, and we are able to do appointments on a same-day basis. We welcome new patients and hope that we can keep more community members healthy and safe at this time.”
“We do have some face-to-face visits available when it’s urgent,” Polster adds. “If we are very concerned about something we are seeing, we are bringing you in the office. Or if there’s care that you need that can only be delivered in person, like a shot, like a birth control monthly shot, we’ve created an environment that’s safe for folks to come in― widely spaced; only certain hours. We’re giving people access to the care that they need. Most of it is delivered while you’re still in your home but if things are needed, we do have the ability to see you safely in six locations.”
Courtesy of Policy Matters Ohio
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) today reported that Ohioans filed 109,369 initial jobless claims for the week ended April 18, down from 226,007 the prior week. Total new claims for the last five weeks approached 1 million, with 964,566 filings. Together these claims exceed all jobless claims filed for the prior two years by 249,054. ODJFS has distributed initial payments to 376,000 claimants thus far. Policy Matters Ohio Researcher Michael Shields released the following statement:
“Flattening the curve of COVID-19 means Ohioans need to stay home from work until our health departments get the tests they need to prevent a surge of infections once businesses reopen. That means ODJFS must work quickly to get unemployment compensation (UC) to those who need it. Ohio is falling behind other states in allowing many workers who haven’t previously qualified for benefits to receive them.
“ODJFS said it will begin processing newly eligible claimants by mid-May. For folks who have been out of work since March, that’s a long time to wait. It’s understandable that getting a new claims system up and running takes time. It is not reasonable that many now waiting for federal help were excluded from state benefits they should have been eligible for in the first place.
“Ohio law excludes workers paid less than $269 per week on average – like many of the restaurant workers sent home by Gov. DeWine on March 15 – from state UC benefits. Ohio law completely excludes drivers employed by ride-hailing companies such as Uber. ODJFS needs to get benefits to these workers as quickly as possible, and Ohio policymakers must change eligibility rules so they will be eligible for UC going forward.
“Alleviating hardship for workers displaced by this crisis is critical, and getting it right is the way to prevent a short-term disruption from becoming a protracted recession. Forcing Ohioans back to work before our health departments have the testing they need to isolate coronavirus cases would endanger lives. Instead Ohio’s leaders in government need to make sure people can cover the rent and groceries while their earnings are on hold. Maintaining their consumer spending is going to be vital to keeping businesses afloat and preventing long-term job loss.
“Too many Ohioans never recovered from the last recession. In the recovery from this crisis, Ohio can rebuild our economy in a way that strengthens everyone. This time we’ve got to get it right.”
Numbers of new coronavirus cases appear to be on decline.
The past few days, numbers have reflected the following:
4/22: Today’s 24-hour increase= 359. Today’s total= 13,609 . Yesterday’s total= 13,250.
4/21: Today’s 24-hour increase= 734. Today’s total= 13,250 . Yesterday’s total= 12,516.
4/20: Today’s 24-hour increase= 1,224. Today’s total= 12,516. Yesterday’s total= 11,292.
By Jessie Schoonover
The West Park Times reached out to various faith leaders in this area to see how they are maintaining services, connections, faith, and more during these challenging times.
“The building is not the church,” says Rev. Jason Thompson of the West Park United Church of Christ (UCC), 3909 Rocky River Dr. “That is something that is hard for us to remember.”
In fact, worshipping in private homes is not a new concept, Thompson says.
“It was the tradition of the early church to worship in private homes, and we still embrace home worship,” says Thompson, adding that for some, this can feel ‘less holy,’ so to speak.
“We also have historical records of home worship during the Spanish influenza pandemic right here in Cleveland (circa 1918),” says Thomspon. “When local churches were under order to close. Our pastor at the time, the Rev. J.P. Reidinger, instructed the congregation on how to hold worship services in their own homes.
“Today, of course, we have technology that these earlier communities could have only imagined.”
According to Thompson, these activities of West Park UCC have been moved to an online format:
Everyone is welcome to attend these online events.
“These connections are vital in allowing us to maintain a relationship with each other and with God. And that is the church. The church is the relationship we have with God, with each other, and with our world,” Thompson says. (To access services, visit http://westparkucc.org/covid-19-update/.)
According to Rabbi Enid C. Lader of Beth Israel- The West Temple, 14308 Triskett Rd., ‘meeting’ has taken on a different meaning, but celebrations of the Shabbat, learning of the Torah, preparation for Passover and movement through the Passover seder continue.
“Since the outbreak of the coronavirus,” says Lader, “my congregation has offered our services online. Each service has been led in ‘real-time,’ giving people the opportunity to see each other, participate in the service by reading various parts of the service, and share wishes and blessings with each other at the end of each service.”
Lader says: “We have ‘met’ together for a special service of mourning and healing. Our religious school families have ‘met’ together for song and prayer. Our Hebrew school students have ‘met’ together to continue their learning.”
In addition, around 40 families from the religious school sent letters and cards expressing smiles and holiday wishes to 110 other temple households. Passover foods were also delivered by members of the congregation to other members who were unable to go out and shop for themselves.
“We continue to reach out to our members with calls to touch base and make sure all is well,” says Lader. “If people are in need, we try to make the connections to help them out.”
Pastor Rob Plain of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 12826 Lorain Ave., says, “Yes, we livestream all our services on YouTube at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Anyone can find us online by searching my name, Rev. Rob Plain.”
He also provides this passage: Joshua 1:9 tells us this; “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
“While this is an unprecedented event in our lives, this is not unprecedented in history,” says Plain. “Noah was quarantined on an ark with his family and all the animals for 375 days; the Israelites were quarantined in the wilderness for 40 years before they entered the promised land; Jonah was quarantined in the belly of a fish for 3 days, just to name a few examples…”
According to Plain, staying connected with your ‘church family’ can provide strength, and can be done via phone, text, email, and online livestreaming.
“People miss each other,” says Father Doug Koesel of Blessed Trinity Church, 14040 Puritas Ave. “They miss the connectedness that we have made and the ways we collectively reach out to the neighborhood and the world.”
“Two phrases we hear over and over during this crisis are that ‘we are in this together,’ and that ‘one day this will end.’ Those are two fundamental aspects of religion,” Koesel says.
“For those who are not church/temple/mosque attenders, the coronavirus probably has no impact. They can still pray at home, read scripture on the Internet, and even watch spiritual TED talks. But for those of us Christians for whom weekly worship is an essential ingredient in life because we believe Jesus’s call to community, there is no substitute for gathering together as God’s people.”
“During Lent, sheltering at home was a time to reflect on suffering and death, and what a real Lenten penance that is. Now that we are in the Easter season, we look forward in hope. We pray for our scientists to find a cure/vaccine/treatment, and we pray that we listen to scientists first and foremost.”
The story doesn’t have to end here! If we’ve missed you or your church, congregation, or other place of worship, write to us at westparktimes@gmail.com.
WEST PARK UCC, 3909 Rocky River Dr. ― Food pantry operates every Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon. The church has offered hundreds of bags of food to West Park neighbors over the last six weeks.
BLESSED TRINITY CHURCH, 14040 Puritas Ave. ― The Hunger Center, called the Bountiful Basement, continues to serve people. It is open Tuesday 9:30 a.m.-noon, and Wednesday 5-6:45 p.m. Stay in your car. If you walk to the center, follow strict guidelines of those in charge. The produce giveaway also continues the first Wednesday of the month, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Again, stay in your cars and follow the directions given to you when you arrive.
Free college and trade school tuition scholarships for four-year CMSD grads!
Visit SayYesCleveland.org.
PHOTO & STORY COURTESY OF THE NORTHEAST COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS (NEOCH)
Last month, the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) and a group of 80 organizations delivered a letter to Governor DeWine calling for a statewide residential eviction moratorium. Since then, over 700 people have signed the letter, 100 of whom are at risk of eviction at this very moment. On April 1, Gov. Mike DeWine issued 90-day eviction and foreclosure protections for commercial businesses. Now, the governor should provide similar supports for Ohio residential renters.
Minimizing evictions in Ohio during this period is critical to reducing the spread of COVID-19. Yesterday, national housing expert Matthew Desmond and The Eviction Lab released its COVID-19 Housing Policy Scorecard, giving Ohio a failing score of 0.08/5. The Scorecard evaluates on a number of emergency measures in the eviction process, from filing initiation, the enforcement of eviction orders, to providing tenant protections like requiring landlords to accept late payments and prohibiting them from charging late fees during the moratorium period. Even if a moratorium were granted across Ohio, tenant protections are necessary to prevent an eviction tsunami later this summer.
Here are some of the stories of people facing eviction across Ohio right now, which you can listen to here. Each individual is willing to share their story publicly.
Joy lives in Bedford Heights with her 7 year old daughter. She was laid off in March due to COVID-19 closures. She’s paid rent on time for the place she’s lived for 15 years, but without child care and no word from the unemployment office, she’s bracing herself for an eviction hearing next month.
Angela from Mansfield is staying in a motel after getting evicted for being 3 days late on rent while she was in the hospital. She’s finding it difficult to find a new place to live while the state is shut down and as she recovers from surgery complications.
Stephen, who lives with his family in Springfield, was laid off in January and received an eviction notice back in March. The hearing was delayed until May, but he’s struggling to make arrangements during the pandemic with no income and no apartment showings available.
Vieda, a gig worker in Cleveland, lost 70% of her income since the demand for Uber/Lyft plummeted. She’s unable to pay April or May rent, and she’s nervous that her landlord might not be patient while she waits to start a new job, which might get delayed since she’s been feeling sick.
Many Ohioans have experienced a substantial loss of income as a result of layoffs and the loss of wages related to COVID-19, hampering their ability to keep up with rent and leaving them vulnerable to eviction. During a time when many Ohioans are already experiencing a homelessness crisis, the COVID-19 outbreak has made it clear that our state cannot afford to compound the problem by not offering tenant protections for renters impacted by the pandemic.
COURTESY OF NORTHEAST OHIO COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS
The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) launched a Mutual Aid Fund to provide support for grassroots, community-based responses to the COVID-19 crisis. NEOCH was inspired by Cleveland Pandemic Response (CPR), a group of local organizers and volunteers who launched a community hub, to directly match people in need with neighbors offering support. Knowing that large systems can be slow to respond, CPR uses a mutual aid model to link community members to free goods and services, and to volunteers who can run errands for people at high risk of infection.
NEOCH began receiving offers of financial support soon after the pandemic struck from community members who trusted them to direct those funds where they would have the biggest impact. “When disaster strikes, data shows that the most marginalized people in our society get left behind by large-scale solutions, particularly poor people of color,” says Maggie Rice, who has been coordinating NEOCH’s mutual aid education and outreach. “In response, NEOCH allocated some of the funds we’ve raised to provide rapid response assistance to those disproportionately impacted.”
NEOCH launched its Mutual Aid Fund on March 23rd, soon after Gov. DeWine issued the state’s stay-at-home order. Organizers answer a few questions, NEOCH responds within 48 hours, and up to $500 in funding is dispersed to people organizing projects. To date, NEOCH has supported 12 projects totalling $4,300 in support. Funds have been used to provide food, hygiene, and cleaning products to at-risk neighborhoods, materials to make masks for essential workers, and transportation fare for people being released from prison.
Suncere Ali Shakur is no stranger to mutual aid work before the COVID-19 pandemic began. A seasoned activist, Shakur did mutual aid disaster response after Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. He has also been continuing that effort in his CMHA housing community.
“I had already been feeding people in my community,” says Shakur. “I got continued support from Food Not Bombs and others, and just had to add on my Katrina experience to build a supply line to a underserved community.” Shakur, who calls himself a “hope dealer,” used his micro-grant funds to provide toilet paper, hygiene supplies, cleaning products, and food to his neighbors.
Gabi Mirelez is a local business owner who has used her funds to make masks for NEOCH, Planned Parenthood, and other essential service providers. Through Sweetlime Queer Tailoring in Tremont, Mirelez has been providing individualized services to the community for several years. She sees mutual aid as a way to meet unique needs, without forcing people to conform to institutional standards that may not be a good fit (pun intended) for them. She says that one-on-one approach is what makes mutual aid so successful.
“I’m really grateful to grassroots organizations like NEOCH and CPR that do the work to link people like me up with individuals who can put my masks to immediate use,” Mirelez says. “With the stress of everything that’s going on, I don’t have the capacity to go find the resources I need to move quickly. It was awesome that NEOCH reached out to me and invited me to apply, instead of the other way around.”
Click here to view NEOCH’s Mutual Aid Fund Micro Grant Application
To make it possible for more mutual aid work to be done in northeast Ohio, people can donate to NEOCH’s emergency response fund here
COURTESY OF POLICY MATTERS OHIO
The numbers: Seasonally adjusted data released today by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) show Ohio employers shed 39,700 jobs in March as Gov. Mike DeWine slowed the spread of the coronavirus by ordering many businesses to close. Total nonfarm jobs fell to 5,559,400, from a revised number of 5,599,100 in February.
March’s numbers lag weekly claims filings. They were gathered during the week ended March 14, a day before Gov. DeWine closed restaurants and bars, and eight days before his stay-at-home order shuttered many more businesses. Thus, they don’t yet reflect most of the effects of COVID-19. ODJFS reported yesterday that 158,678 Ohioans filed initial unemployment claims in the week ended April 11. Initial claims for the past four weeks of 855,197 exceed filings for all of 2018 and 2019 combined. Adams, Clinton, Logan and Union Counties experienced their highest filings last week. Policy Matters has tabulated initial filings for each county.
The numbers from the monthly jobs report:
Ohio’s unemployment rate for March reached 5.5%, up from 4.1% in February. During the stay-at-home order, the unemployment rate will understate the true scope of joblessness, because it only counts those actively seeking work.
What it means: “Last month’s jobless numbers don’t yet tell the story of COVID-19’s impact, since they were gathered so early in the month,” said Policy Matters Ohio researcher, Michael Shields.
“Many more workers are already off the job following Gov. DeWine’s ‘stay-at-home’ order. They’re the folks working in jobs not classified as essential, and who can’t do their jobs from home. We want those workers at home to keep them and others safe. But if ODJFS doesn’t move quickly to push unemployment comp to them, then even those who work from home could see their jobs at risk from a drop in consumer spending.”
Solutions:
Get Ohioans the support they need: “The DeWine administration and ODJFS must do everything they can to get unemployment compensation to these folks as quickly as possible,” Shields said. “Governor DeWine made the right decision to protect Ohioans by closing businesses, but now he must take action to alleviate the pain. Many of the restaurant and bar workers sent home by Gov. DeWine over a month ago won’t be able to get benefits for another month. Ohio law excludes workers if they are paid less than $269 per week. They’ll be covered now under temporary federal measures. ODJFS needs to move more quickly to get benefits to these and other newly eligible workers.”
“Supporting workers furloughed by COVID-19 is necessary to prevent a deeper contraction. Some workers are continuing to work because they can do their jobs at home. But if policymakers don’t ensure laid-off workers can continue to pay the rent and buy groceries, the livelihoods of those who are still working could be at risk as well.”
Fix the tax code: “Policy choices that prioritized the wealthy and corporations over families and workers have kept many Ohioans in a precarious position a decade after the last recession. Ohio leaders have misspent 10 years of prosperity on tax cuts for the wealthiest and tax breaks for special interests. In the recovery from this crisis, Ohio needs to rebuild our economy in a way that strengthens everyone. This time we’ve got to get it right.”
While getting outdoors is important any time of the year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says do not visit playgrounds.
“Do not use playgrounds, including water playgrounds, located within local, state, or national parks,” says the CDC.
The CDC states: “Using playgrounds might lead to the spread of COVID-19 because:
Visiting a playground is advised against until further notice. However, select state and local parks remain open. Remember to practice safe social distancing practices no matter where you are, including at all public parks which remain open.
According to the Cleveland Metroparks, its ’18 reservations’ currently remains open and golf course hours are limited (9 a.m. to 5 p.m), depending on the weather. Find information regarding their updates here. To protect employees, they are asking individuals to ‘pack in, pack out.’ This means bring your own garbage container (bag) and bring any garbage with you when you leave.
The Cleveland Metroparks website does note: “Avoid playgrounds: all playgrounds and outdoor fitness stations are closed for safety.”
Swimming for now appears to be safe, given individuals continue taking appropriate measures to avoid shared spaces, etc. According to the CDC, there is no proof that currently exists indicating COVID-19 can be transmitted via water or swimming.
“There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the water. Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection (with chlorine or bromine) of pools should kill COVID-19,” states the CDC’s web page.
It is NOT recommended to use water parks or playgrounds, or hot tubs, says the CDC.
Getting out isn’t impossible during COVID-19 but it is still important to continue safe social distancing; practicing adequate hygiene habits, and additional precautions such as wearing a mask.
Find information from the National Parks Service regarding individual parks here.
In the last 24-hours, the Ohio Department of Health has reported 1,353 new cases of the coronavirus.
This excludes the “CDC Expanded Case Definition (Probable)” amount. The overall coronavirus case total for the state reached 11,292 on April 19. For the last few days, a significant jump in 24-hour case increases can be seen (below):
4/19: Today’s 24-hour increase= 1,353 Today’s total= 11,292. Yesterday’s total= 9,939.
4/18: Today’s 24-hour increase= 1,081 Today’s total= 9,939. Yesterday’s total= 8,858.
4/17: Today’s 24-hour increase= 619. Today’s total= 8,858. Yesterday’s total= 8,239.
4/16: Today’s 24-hour increase= 611. Today’s total= 8,239. Yesterday’s total= 7,628.
4/15: Today’s 24-hour increase= 475. Today’s total= 7,628. Yesterday’s total= 7,153.
4/14: Today’s 24-hour increase= 272. Today’s total= 7,153. Yesterday’s total= 6,881.
View more totals here. https://bit.ly/34MfOxk
According to sources, the U.S. currently tops the world in numbers of coronavirus cases.
The City of Cleveland continues to take numerous precautions across multiple departments and divisions amid increasing cases of coronavirus (COVID-19). Mayor Frank G. Jackson has extended the Proclamation of Civil Emergency through April 30, 2020. Click here to view the mayor’s declaration. Essential services such as Police, Fire, EMS, waste collection and Utilities are operational. 25 […]
“The Cleveland Department of Public Health has been notified of 25 more confirmed test results for coronavirus in residents of the city. The department has also been informed of one new resident fatality. The patient was a male in his 90’s. This brings the total to 377 confirmed cases in the City of Cleveland and ten fatalities, ranging from less than one year to their 90’s. The new cases include males and females, whose ages range their teens to their 90’s. CDPH is working to identify any close contacts of these residents who would require testing or monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19.”
INFORMATION REGARDING THE IRS PAYMENT PORTAL FOR CORONAVIRUS STIMULUS CHECKS:
If the IRS does not have your payment information, you can enter it here at their portal. https://sa.www4.irs.gov/irfof-wmsp/notice
Do note: If you have ‘0’ as your refund amount, etc., it may not work yet as many have been experiencing technical issues with this. As of 04/17/2020, a solution for this was still being looked into and/or developed, according to this thread here. https://www.reddit.com/r/IRS/comments/g236kx/zero_filers_those_who_filed_taxes_but_dont_owe_or/
Photo and above caption credit of Melanie Sklarz.
A very Happy Easter to everyone in the West Park neighborhood and beyond. What are some of your favorite traditions?
2015 photo by Jerry Masek
Although this bald eagle is a resident of the Metroparks Zoo, West Park residents can also see them flying over the Rocky River, looking for fish.
POLICY MATTERS OHIO
PRESS RELEASE
Author: Wendy Patton
As Ohioans face down the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report from Policy Matters points the way for policymakers to marshal the state’s collective resources to keep everyone safe today and rebuild for the future.
To keep Ohioans safe, Governor DeWine closed huge portions of the economy, including restaurants, movie theaters, factories and other workplaces. Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans are laid off and state and local governments are losing revenue from income and sales taxes. Earlier this week, the Ohio Office of Budget and Management reported the state’s total general revenue fund tax receipts came in $159.4 million (10.5%) below estimates last month. If Ohio’s tax collections in the general revenue funds drop at the same rate they did in the wake of the 2008 recession, adjusted for inflation, the state could have $3.9 billion less than projected by the end of budget year 2021, according to calculations of report author Wendy Patton, Policy Matters Senior Project Director. Governor DeWine has asked agencies to plan for cuts of 20%. Austerity measures will drive Ohio into a deeper recession, said Patton.
“Like all states, Ohio needs a strong partner in the federal government, which can generate the resources large enough to meet the moment,” Patton said. “State policymakers also have options. Instead of cutting funding for schools, parks or transit, they can reverse some of the special interest tax breaks that cost Ohio $9 billion a year. In the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2008, state policymakers chose to cut taxes for the wealthiest and slashed support for communities and public services. This time, we can have a recovery that, unlike the last one, decreases inequality and poverty as jobs return.”
In coming months, Ohioans are likely to need more support from federal, state and local governments, not less. Even with the $2 trillion federal CARES Act stimulus, as many as 955,000 Ohioans could be unemployed by July and the unemployment rate could hit 16.4%, according to Economic Policy Institute estimates. Ohio’s rural communities have been hit hard by economic fallout from the pandemic. Ashtabula County, where unemployment claims have risen more than 2,000% in recent weeks, is the worst prepared in the state to cope with a crisis according to the CDC’s social vulnerability rating index.
Meanwhile, even though social distancing has helped flatten the curve, cases are mounting in Ohio. Early data shows that a disproportionate share of Black Ohioans are getting sick with COVID-19. Although Ohio’s reporting on race is not comprehensive, the data so far indicates Black people make up 18% of COVID-19 cases compared to 14% of Ohio’s total population. Longstanding structural barriers to employment opportunities, deeply entrenched segregation, and health care disparities put communities of color at higher risk.
“The coronavirus doesn’t discriminate, but policy choices have put some communities in worse positions than others,” Patton said. “Today, policymakers can choose to make sure everyone can thrive by rebuilding the services communities need instead of cutting taxes for the wealthy and corporations.”
BY POLICY MATTERS OHIO
No matter our differences, we all need to eat. We all want to support our families and live with dignity. Now is the time for our leaders to make policy choices that help all people — not just the wealthy and powerful few. In this moment of uncertainty, state and federal lawmakers need to do everything they can to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and stabilize families, households, and the economy.
This brief examines elements of the federal stimulus packages and policy changes in Ohio that can help people access food during this difficult time. It also highlights additional recommendations to make sure all Ohioans have enough to eat.
A strategy to stabilize families and the economy
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the most effective programs during a recession. First, SNAP meets people’s immediate needs and allows people to keep feeding their families. Research shows that children whose families use SNAP are healthier and do better at school.[4] Second, SNAP can help stabilize the economy during a downturn by quickly supporting people who lose their jobs or income. As unemployment rises, more people get their food through SNAP, and research shows that people who use SNAP spend it quickly in their community.[5] Four-fifths of SNAP benefits are spent in the local economy within two weeks, and 97% within a month. SNAP also frees up resources for Ohioans to meet other basic needs, like paying for rent, diapers, medication, or toilet paper.
National steps taken to provide food to people who need it
Congress passed three major bills in response to COVID-19. The first provided funds for medical equipment, vaccine development and other research. The second, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, addressed immediate, pressing health and social needs. The third, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, addressed income support, business assistance, and aid to state and local governments, among other things.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provides important flexibility and relief to meet emerging needs. The bill extends food assistance by:[6]
These changes are all temporary and available only during the public health emergency.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is the third federal stimulus package. It includes several major elements to buffer Americans from the recession, such as expanded unemployment compensation (UC), payments to individuals and families, and financial assistance to states. By not increasing SNAP benefits, the CARES Act misses an opportunity to both stimulate the economy and help families make ends meet, like policymakers did during the last recession.[7]
Policymakers can temporarily increase the maximum SNAP benefit by 15% in the next stimulus package. This would provide roughly $25 per person per month, or a little less than $100 a month to help a family of four afford food and help stabilize consumer spending in local economies.[8] We urge federal lawmakers to include this in the next relief bill, which is being discussed now.
Steps Ohio has taken to support people in need
Food is the most basic human need. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act gives Ohio more flexibility to respond to the needs of the moment. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is taking important steps to make sure current SNAP participants don’t lose benefits and help newly eligible people apply and access benefits quickly.
The USDA has granted Ohio waivers toward these goals. The first waiver prevents Ohioans who participate in SNAP from losing access to benefits due to expiration or redetermination.[9] This means that SNAP benefits scheduled to expire in March, April and May 2020 will be extended six months until September, October and November 2020. This will keep Ohioans enrolled in SNAP and free up caseworkers to connect people with critical food assistance.
The USDA also authorized new, flexible guidelines for processing new SNAP applications.[10] Federal rules had required people to complete an interview to receive SNAP benefits. The new, temporary rules will allow ODJFS to waive the interview requirement as long as the applicant’s identity has been verified and other mandatory verifications have been completed.
ODJFS should establish procedures to guide county Job and Family Service (JFS) agencies to operationalize these changes. ODJFS has already developed temporary procedures for county JFS agencies to accept verbal signatures over the phone. These measures will make sure more Ohioans who need it get help affording food.
The USDA also approved a waiver to bring all households receiving SNAP “up to the maximum benefit due to pandemic related economic conditions for up to 2 months.”[11] This would infuse over $150 million into Ohio’s economy over two months and help households pay for food expenses. This will allow households to receive up to the maximum benefit based on their household size. Typically, households with higher monthly income receive less SNAP assistance, and households with the lowest or no income receive the maximum benefit. Federal lawmakers decided that households already receiving the maximum amount will not see a boost.
Policymakers are taking steps to help Ohioans safely use SNAP to buy food. The DeWine Administration issued an order to allow SNAP recipients to pay for curbside grocery pickup with their SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.[12] School districts across the state have also taken initiative to get food to students who need it. The USDA granted a waiver to Ohio for schools to package and distribute meals to students.
What else is needed
Metro County JFS agencies are reporting staff shortages all across the state as they transition to at-home or remote work environments. County JFS offices have reported being overwhelmed by calls for UC claims. Food banks across the state are reporting major increases in demand — 250% in Dayton and 300% in Cincinnati.[13] While schools are working to get food to students, the Plain Dealer reported that only around 10% of students in Cleveland are picking up free meals.[14]
Recommendations
While state and federal lawmakers have moved quickly, Ohioans in crisis need more support.
Federal policy makers can:
State policymakers can:
We are all in this together. While individuals, nonprofits, and businesses all play a part, only government can mobilize our shared resources to ensure all of us can eat. In the midst of the COVID-19 emergency, we need to remember what we learned during the Great Recession. A swift expansion of SNAP (as well as Unemployment Compensation and Medicaid) is one of the best ways to meet the emerging needs of kids and families, and stabilize our economy.