Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the City of Atlanta—in coordination with the Latino Community Fund—launched a COVID-19 Community Impact Survey designed to gather insights directly from Black, Latinx and immigrant residents about the impact of COVID-19 on their well-being and sense of belonging. The Atlanta survey is part of a broader national effort—funded by the Walmart Foundation and conducted in partnership with New American Economy (NAE)—to reach at least 1,000 residents across the cities of Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Louisville, Kentucky and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“Our Administration is committed to leading the way on equitable and resilient pandemic relief,” said Mayor Bottoms. “We know that our immigrant and black and brown communities have been disproportionally impacted by COVID-19, but we need to understand how they have been impacted beyond contagion rates. Understanding the struggles of all Atlanta’s communities will help inform our continued response to the pandemic in unique and innovative ways.”

The survey will be conducted in multiple languages covering four key areas, including: Personal and Household Well-Being, Access to Economic Relief, Cultural and Linguistic Inclusion and Perception of COVID-19 Response and Sense of Belonging. To administer the survey, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Welcoming Atlanta is working with the Latino Community Fund to reach communities of color and immigrant communities that have faced significant challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession.

“There is no doubt the devastating effects of COVID-19 will be long lasting and profound,” said Gilda Pedraza, CEO of the Latino Community Fund. “Documenting how they look in the daily lives of some of the most vulnerable immigrant communities in the country is the first step towards equitable recovery. We are looking forward to this work and to the opportunities it will create to champion fair and just policies for all.”

Results from the survey will inform the City of Atlanta’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts as local officials work to end disparities faced by immigrant communities and communities of color. The survey results will also inform Year 4 of NEA’s annual Cities Index—a tool that measures immigrant inclusion through the assessment of local policies and socioeconomic disparities between the US-born and foreign-born individuals. Currently, the NAE Cities Index measures local policy and practice across five categories: Government Leadership, Economic Empowerment, Inclusivity, Community and Legal Support. In response to COVID-19, NAE will create a new section focused on inclusive disaster response and resilience to help cities assess key policies and practices to better prepare for and recover from future disasters.

For more information about the NAE Cities Index, visithttps://www.newamericaneconomy.org/cities-index/