Our new report shows how community-based organizations have responded to COVID-19 and the policy implications |
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An equitable recovery is one that prioritizes racially just, community-led solutions to reverse the underlying inequities that have generated disparities in COVID-19 case and death rates. And we have the opportunity to achieve that. This new report shows the way. Unfortunately, almost 18 months into the COVID-19 public health crisis, Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color across California still face unjust economic impacts and the highest COVID-19 case rates. Community-based organizations (CBOs) throughout the state have stepped in to address community needs and fill gaps in government response, providing resources and services to those in need. A new report from Prevention Institute, ChangeLab Solutions, and the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, with contributions from 21 California CBOs, shares recommendations on how California policymakers can make structural changes and partner with CBOs to support a more equitable recovery. |
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An equitable recovery must give decision-making power to BIPOC communities, to ensure that their needs are adequately addressed. Informed by interviews with CBOs throughout the state about how they pivoted to deliver crucial supports to community members, this report offers recommendations for changes in policies and practices that can help governments partner with community organizations to better meet community needs. While this focus of this report is on California, it has implications for locales across the country.
Besides documenting efforts toward equitable recovery and providing recommendations, the report reveals that the success of equitable recovery efforts—and efforts to promote health equity more broadly—depends on improved relationship building between government entities, CBOs, and community members. Local governments must make structural changes to ensure that equity considerations are incorporated properly and effectively in all their policies and services. CBOs are indispensable within the wider public infrastructure and should be empowered and funded in accordance with the vital services and supports that they provide. |
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Addressing underlying inequities requires structural changes in how communities participate in decision making, in the data that policymakers have to help them make equity-informed decisions, and in accountability mechanisms related to the distribution of resources. |
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Read the report: How California’s Community-Based Organizations Filled the Gaps for Underserved Communities
| This report was made possible by generous support from the Blue Shield of California Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation. |
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