Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Preexisting Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and Results of an Integrated Safety Net Response in Arlington County, Virginia

This paper presents research conducted by the Arlington County Department of Human Services to understand the use of safety net services during the pandemic, identify disparities, and reduce or eliminate them. Arlington County's levels of health and economic wellbeing are generally high; however, residents of color experience significant disparities compared with White residents, with lower median incomes, lower rates of college completion, lower life expectancies, and higher rates of chronic illness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these disparities were amplified as Black and Latinx residents experienced disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death, as well as disproportionately high rates of job loss. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Arlington County mounted an interdisciplinary response to stabilize community needs, including food security, eviction prevention, isolation housing, behavioral health stabilization, and digital equity. This integrated approach was especially important during the pandemic, as the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic disproportionately impacted health and economic wellbeing among Arlington's Black and Latinx residents, low-income residents, and vulnerable communities.