Evaluations and insights from the COVID-19 response

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic caused both a public health and an economic crisis. The federal government responded with historic investments. What lessons about designing effective programs and strategies, especially for vulnerable populations, can we draw from them?

We’ve built a pandemic relief and economic recovery portfolio consisting of dozens of evaluations and resources to begin to answer this question. Our work encompasses many agency priorities, such as housing, mental health, economic security, small businesses, and community safety. The learnings from this portfolio can be used for policymaking and implementation to improve outcomes and program delivery during times of crisis and beyond. This page features links to results, briefs on key takeaways, and learnings on salient topics such as how to make it easier for people to learn about and apply for federal programs.

Resources

The evidence briefs and additional resources below include insights related to pandemic relief and economic recovery from across our portfolios of work.

Portfolio

We’ve also partnered with federal agencies to conduct dozens of evaluations, some national and some site-specific, to better understand what worked to increase awareness of, access to, and allocation of federal recovery programs. The results offer a wealth of insights, such as what worked to connect thousands more callers in mental health crises to counselors, how one state saved tens of thousands of dollars by shifting away from an ineffective outreach technique, and which program change made it easier, faster, and more likely for people facing housing instability to access rental assistance.

Person adjusting thermostat

Evaluating the effect of changes to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Analysis plan registration

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graduation caps and confetti scattered on a gym floor

Examining the impacts of COVID-era direct payments during the transition to adulthood

Read more about Examining the impacts of COVID-era direct payments during the transition to adulthood
Power pylons at sunset

Learning from Tribal governments’ experiences with federal grant programs

Read more about Learning from Tribal governments’ experiences with federal grant programs
Sign that says we welcome SNAP benefits

Decreasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) denials due to incomplete information

A text campaign encouraging the use of a redesigned document uploader decreased SNAP denial rates due to incomplete eligibility information

Read more about Decreasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) denials due to incomplete information
woman holding a phone

Decreasing abandonment of calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

An updated caller experience resulted in more people being connected to a 988 counselor

Read more about Decreasing abandonment of calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Person directing calls

Measuring the impact of the Appropriate Responses Initiative on arrests in Ramsey County, MN

Analysis Plan Registration

Read more about Measuring the impact of the Appropriate Responses Initiative on arrests in Ramsey County, MN
Hands typing on laptop

Modifying income reporting on benefits applicants — Evidence from single-income households

Providing applicants with different alternatives to reporting an hourly wage did not increase submission rates for an online application for SNAP benefits

Read more about Modifying income reporting on benefits applicants — Evidence from single-income households
Money and a 1040 form

Decreasing homelessness and financial instability with unconditional cash transfers

Analysis plan registration

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Streamlining income verification to broaden access to rental assistance

Streamlining income verification to broaden access to rental assistance

Streamlining income verification for application processors in Kentucky increased application approval rates by at least 7 percentage points

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People writing on paper

Reducing documentation burdens to accelerate and broaden access to emergency rental assistance

Simplifying income documentation reduced application processing times and increased application approval rates, but did not significantly increase new applications

Read more about Reducing documentation burdens to accelerate and broaden access to emergency rental assistance
Children playing in a classroom

Increasing access to Minnesota Child Care Stabilization Base Grants

Texts and calls increased funding awards for child care providers

Read more about Increasing access to Minnesota Child Care Stabilization Base Grants
Person on an iphone

Decreasing opt out from text messages about benefit programs

Measuring delivery and opt out-rates for a text message campaign with a state partner

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Tip for enrollment

Identifying interventions to increase Affordable Care Act uptake through a systematic review and meta-analysis

Support-based interventions increase health insurance enrollment

Read more about Identifying interventions to increase Affordable Care Act uptake through a systematic review and meta-analysis
Arial view of a neighborhood in Milwaukee, WI

Increasing applications to the Homeowner Assistance Fund using mailers

Sending postcards did not increase applications from at-risk homeowners

Read more about Increasing applications to the Homeowner Assistance Fund using mailers
Triple decker housing in Cambridge, MA

Describing the distribution of Emergency Rental Assistance funds to those who need and qualify for it

A descriptive study of the first-ever nationwide eviction prevention program

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Residential street

Understanding and improving Tribal governments’ and non-entitlement units’ experiences with the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program

Read more about Understanding and improving Tribal governments’ and non-entitlement units’ experiences with the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program
Front of a building

Increasing timely reporting by local governments through reminders

Sending reminder emails did not increase submission of spending reports

Read more about Increasing timely reporting by local governments through reminders
Small town in Alabama

Increasing timely reporting by local governments through peer comparisons and encouragements

Adding peer comparisons and information that registering is quick and easy to emails did not increase submission of spending reports

Read more about Increasing timely reporting by local governments through peer comparisons and encouragements
View of building

Increasing timely reporting by local governments through to-do lists

Adding to-do lists and calls to action to emails increased signup on an online expenditure reporting portal

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Documents stacked

How documentation burdens affect the distribution of small business relief funding

A city small business relief program that reduced documentation requirements subsequently received a higher share of completed applications from historically underserved businesses

Read more about How documentation burdens affect the distribution of small business relief funding
Front of shops in a street

Who receives access to small business relief? A simulation-based approach

Simulations using application data from three cities showed how outcomes for historically underserved businesses depend on the allocation method

Read more about Who receives access to small business relief? A simulation-based approach
People graduation

Evaluating the effects of HEERF Aid to students

A regression-discontinuity design to estimate the effects of emergency aid on student academic outcomes

Read more about Evaluating the effects of HEERF Aid to students
City of Dallas

Dallas small business continuity fund impact evaluation

Analysis of a pre-existing lottery for small business grants and loans was unable to determine impact on business resilience

Read more about Dallas small business continuity fund impact evaluation
San Diego Skyline

Evaluation of San Diego Small Business Relief Fund

A selection on observables analysis was unable to determine the effect of funding for small businesses on business outcomes during the pandemic

Read more about Evaluation of San Diego Small Business Relief Fund
Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation

Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation

A toolkit developed by the Office of the Surgeon General provides information and exercises to slow the spread of health misinformation.

Read more about Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation