Unemployment has improved since this spring, but the ongoing pandemic and efforts to contain it may cause lasting damage to the region’s job market. 

Read more about the latest unemployment numbers and what they mean for communities in the Chicago region.

The pandemic clearly has demonstrated how technological upgrades, such as online permitting systems, can help local governments maintain efficient services even in times of crisis. Learn more about the key benefits — and challenges — of implementing online permitting.

Since the start of the coronavirus response and stay-at-home order, transit and transportation use has significantly changed. We've updated our transportation system analysis — covering roads, trips, safety, transit, and freight rail — with the latest data.

Studies have shown that Latinx communities have a higher rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases than any other racial group, in part, due to employment and housing patterns. Community leaders must understand these unique challenges and respond to the specific needs of the people most impacted by the pandemic.

Read how local leaders can better engage Latinx communities during their COVID-19 responses.

The pandemic presents a rare opportunity for policymakers not only to stabilize the economy in the near future, but transform it in a sustainable way. Read our latest policy update on why an infusion of public funding, combined with a comprehensive policy approach at the federal and state levels, could lead us through the ongoing climate crisis.

Even in times of crisis, municipalities in northeastern Illinois have numerous tools as their disposal to combat residential vacancies. CMAP’s latest policy update details the different ways to prevent a cycle of disinvestment and abandonment, even as the pandemic’s effect on the housing market remains unclear.

See an archive of previous COVID-19 response briefs, by month.

COVID-19 Resources

CMAP has compiled a list of resources to aid our partners in this uncertain time.