Survey Responses Show Many Locals Are Struggling to Pay Rent

Three weeks ago, Park City Community Foundation activated its Community Response Fund to help support nonprofits in greater Park City that are handling cases related to the impact of COVID-19. During the first, urgent phase of funding, the goal is to rapidly deploy resources to community-based organizations that are working with those who are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

To better understand which community members are being affected and how, Park City Community Foundation staff are constantly gathering information, conducting surveys, and reaching out to community leaders to ensure that we are getting the most up-to-date information to deploy resources and meet the urgent needs.

The latest survey, administered through our Solomon Fund network of Spanish-speaking families, included questions around rent, knowing that this is a current pain point for many families. The survey went out on April 1^st, given that for many, that is when rent is due.

We asked about where families live, how much they pay in rent, if they were able to pay April’s rent and, if not, if they reached out for assistance, whether to a local nonprofit, like the Christian Center’s Basic Needs Assistance program, or directly to their landlord to ask for accommodations.

Out of the 108 respondents, 74% of respondents said that they were unable to pay their full rent for April.

According to an earlier survey of 140 Solomon Fund families, 93% had either lost their jobs or had had their hours drastically cut in mid-March. Given that many families have lost employment, we foresee that these needs will only increase. Of the 24% of families that were able to pay rent on April 1^st, many said that they were more concerned about May’s rent.

In addition to several quantitative questions, there were opportunities to leave comments throughout the survey. The general sentiment is that many folks are very concerned and are scared for their family’s future. They have no idea when they will be able to return to work and currently have no source of income.

As many of us think about the $2 trillion stimulus package from the federal government and the many businesses, nonprofits, and individuals in our community that will benefit, it is important to remember that many community members are not eligible for this relief.

As we continue to identify the most urgent needs in our community, we believe it is critical to protect those that keep our local economy moving. Living in a resort town comes with many benefits but it takes our whole community to keep the tourism industry alive.

Thank you again to the 250+ donors who have financially contributed to the fund thus far. As of April 7, the Community Response Fund has raised $859,000 for the immediate and long-term needs of those who are being most impacted by COVID-19 in greater Park City. To date, we have granted $200,000 to seven different nonprofits working on the ground to support our most vulnerable communities.

Our goal in the coming weeks and months is to continue to assist those most in need in our community through our Community Response Fund. We look forward to supporting additional community members and nonprofits, as we continue into the stabilization and recovery phases of this crisis.

Learn more about the Community Response Fund and see a full list of organizations that have received funding.