COVID-19 Response – El Paso, Texas

Problem/Rationale: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing challenges in El Paso such as housing affordability, homelessness, utility cost burden, access to food, and individual financial stability. 

Goals: To support the most vulnerable El Pasoans as they navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

Project Summary: At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of El Paso created a team consisting of elements from various departments to manage the effects of the crisis. The Community Vulnerabilities and Human Services team was led by the Chief Resilience Officer. The team was created to equitably deploy pandemic relief resources not only to address the initial impact of the pandemic, but to ensure that El Paso would be better prepared for future emergencies. 

The first step of the process was to identify high priority vulnerabilities, this was done by completing a comprehensive community needs assessment. Once this was accomplished, El Paso worked with community non-profits, partner public entities and neighborhood stakeholders to establish an informed prioritization of need and assessment of areas where team services could have the most impact. At the heart of every decision was the question, “Are these investments in crisis response inclusive, equitable, and ultimately resilient?”

After the initial analysis was done, Housing + Basic Needs and Livelihood + Employment were found to be the biggest priorities. Once priorities were established, the City of El Paso proceeded to identify community partners who would be key to deploying the assistance in the most effective way possible.  Just over $31 million was committed to programs ranging from rental and utility assistance to provision of food to direct financial assistance for El Pasoans. Over 50 partner agencies were engaged by the City of El Paso to ensure comprehensive and collaborative deployment of those programs.

Another highlight has been El Paso’s ability to provide shelter and support for those experiencing homelessness. The City of El Paso, alongside community partners, immediately rallied to create surge capacity, relocating over 80 individuals into a new shelter.

Engagement Strategies:
El Paso initially conducted extensive assessments to learn all vulnerabilities present. It then brought in various groups to assist in prioritizing which vulnerabilities needed to be addressed first. 

Outcomes: Once priorities were established, the city proceeded to identify community partners who would be key to deploying the over $31 million in aid that was committed to the relief program. In the months since the start of the pandemic, over 10,000 households have been provided rental support, over 2,600 households were able to keep utilities running, 2,000 families and essential workers have access to childcare and over 103 million pounds of food have been distributed.