Teamwork will get us through

If you track the news, you know we’ve been getting some grim economic forecasts recently and many here face a grimmer reality. The county of Humboldt has established frankly sometimes depressing but necessary online resources for local businesses (https://humboldtgov.org/2704/Business-Resources). The site features links to the economic impact survey which allows county to capture current, ongoing, and cumulative data on the total amount of economic loss for businesses in Humboldt County. The data collected will have a direct correlation to the funding Humboldt County will get for economic recovery.

The site also shares survey results (and this is the depressing part), such as the fact that as of May 13, 2020, local COVID revenue losses top $40 million and job losses have reached almost 2,500.

Fortunately, survey results have also shown that over 500 businesses have secured disaster loans and thousands of businesses are getting support through agencies like the North Coast Small Business Development Center (NCSBDC).

Here in Humboldt we also have CERC, the new COVID Economic Resilience Consortium.

CERC was initially formed by economic development folks from the NCSBDC, Redwood Region Economic Development Commission, County of Humboldt Economic Development Division and more to help prepare for and address the economic challenges many saw looming at the onset of COVID-19. The local group hosted daily meetings focused on coordinating efforts and messaging and supporting local businesses, workforce and the Humboldt County economy. The now thriceweekly meetings have expanded in participation and scope to include representatives from neighboring counties, state and sometimes even federal agencies. This regular communication ensures that agencies, chambers of commerce, business improvement districts and more are aware of the many local, state and federal resources now available to small businesses including federal loans, local emergency loan programs, business support webinars, business counseling, etc.

And now, fortunately, the scope of CERC has expanded even more. Friday CERC meetings are all about resilience- what do our businesses, counties, agencies and region need to mitigate and address unprecedented challenges in our community and economy?

The group has started to develop plans to address priority issues throughout the region, like providing information and technical assistance from subject matter experts so that businesses can reopen and operate safely, getting dependable access to broadband, supporting safe and reliable childcare for people in and returning to the workforce, securing access to sufficient protective gear and safety supplies, business debt support and more.

There is also a workgroup focusing on workforce — trying to identify and predict the skills employers need in this pandemic era and beyond. The group, comprised of representatives from the Smart Business Resource Center, College of the Redwoods, Humboldt State University, Del Norte Workforce Center, Workforce Development Board and others, also wants to make sure the region is well positioned to take advantage of any grants or assistance that can help train/retrain displaced workers.

There is no way to minimize the damage of COVID-19 on our local economy and we will be feeling the impact for years to come. Fortunately, there are also many efforts underway to help soften and mitigate those impacts. Approaching and working on these challenges together as a region is the best way to address our challenges and come out stronger on the other side.