COVID-19 Response

Our resident services staff are responding to changes in public health guidelines by working to resume in-person programming safely and responsibly while continuing virtual programming when necessary. We aim to provide a robust slate of in-person and virtual services, including tutoring, nutrition workshops, financial empowerment classes, workforce development training, fitness activities, meditation, community meetings, and arts and crafts activities.

At the height of the pandemic, Linc implemented the Staying Connected initiative to offer supportive services via telephone, allowing residents to call their resident services coordinator or vice versa to check in on issues such as:

• Level of family/caregiver support
• Risk factors: chronic illnesses, low or no support, home-bound, limited mobility
• Access to prescription medication and assistance with setting up delivery services
• Access to food, water, and supplies
• Health and wellness - assistance with scheduling appointments/transportation if not feeling well
• Suicide prevention
• Drug and alcoholism treatment
• Emergency shelter for those experiencing domestic violence or other unsafe home situations
• Discussing other topics as needed to support overall mental health and wellness
• Accessing unemployment and other emergency relief benefits

Linc is working to continue our most vital programs long-term, such as offering resiliency classes and expanding food bank distributions that support both our residents and community members facing food insecurity.

A snapshot of our work during the safer-at-home order is as follows:

Food bank distributions

• 9 communities served
• 92 distributions facilitated
• 2,072 residents served
• 3,300 food boxes safely distributed to seniors

Supportive services

• 347 residents served
• 1,795 case notes submitted

Virtual programs

• 17 communities served with 54 unique programs offered
• 656 virtual tutoring sessions for youth

Care packages

• 27 communities served
• 1,736 care packages delivered

Linc thanks our many supporters in this effort, including the California Community Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Long Beach Community Foundation, AXIS Capital, World Central Kitchen, Food Bank of Southern California, Netflix, and individual donors.

For more information and to see how your organization can partner or volunteer with Linc, contact Caitriona at 562.684.1145 or cmcfadden@linchousing.org.

Linc is working with property management to implement many new procedures as recommended by the CDC and other public health authorities. Examples of these new procedures include:

• increasing cleaning and disinfecting of common surfaces such as gates and elevator buttons
  
• closing all non-essential community spaces during spikes in infection rates
• encouraging the social distancing among residents and staff

Throughout the pandemic, our property management team has continued providing their essential services at our housing communities. We're also working with our residents who cannot pay their rent due to COVID-19. There will be no evictions due to non-payment of rent, in accordance with state and local laws.

Questions or concerns related to our properties should be directed to our Asset Management team.

In the spring of 2020, Linc Housing closed its physical offices and transitioned to remote operations for most employees. Currently, we are implementing a hybrid model for our corporate staff. Precautions have been taken to ensure team safety and reduce the number of people present at one time. We will continue to monitor local, state, and federal public safety regulations and adjust as needed to changing best practices related to managing a workforce in an office environment.

The State of California has declared construction, including the building of affordable housing, an essential business. Therefore, our general contractors have proceeded with precautionary measures in place. Examples include additional cleaning stations, use of masks and gloves, and limits of one trade per work area with two workers per trade.

Pandemic-induced supply chain issues and resulting inflation have at times caused delays in construction timelines. We appreciate the great work of our partners in preventing as many interruptions to construction as possible.