Impacts of COVID-19 in MA Municipalities
This study by a team of researchers of the Univeristy of Massachusetts Department of Economics and School of public Policy examines the impacts of COVID-19 and its socio-economic fallout in Massachusetts Municipalities.
Data is collected by implementing an online survey addressed to municipal leaders. The survey includes questions on the following areas:
impacts on municipal operations
strategies adopted by municipalities in their emergency response
impacts on vulnerable populations, in particular food and housing security
impacts on local businesses
vaccination planning and best practices
possible strategies for an inclusive and sustainable post-COVID socio-economic recovery
Data collection via an online survey will star on February 17, 2021
The goal of this study is to contribute to both resilience planning and recovery startegies by providing timely information to town officials and policy makers. An executive summary of the results will be published and shared with participating municipalities in March 2021.
This study has been developed in partnership with the Massachusetts Municipal Association. We are very grateful for their support in distributing the online survey and for facilitating focus groups with mayors and town managers during the survey design.
RESEARCH TEAM
Principal Investigator: Marta Vicarelli, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics and School of Public Policy - University of Massachusetts (Amherst) Contact: Dr. Marta Vicarelli <mvicarelli@econs.umass.edu>
Anna Gishin, Isenberg School of Management - University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
Elizabeth Murphy, MPA, School of Public Policy - University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
George Plouffe, School of Public Policy - University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
Madeline Leue, School of Public Policy - University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
Yu Ya Htut Tin, Departments of Economics and Mathematics- University of Massachusetts (Amherst)