The Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee (BRCPC) coordinated with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) to participate in the largest cooperative purchase of N95 masks in the Mid-Atlantic region. N95 masks are those recommended for use by medical and emergency professionals to prevent the transmission of infectious disease. These masks have come into increasingly high demand during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Led by MWCOG, this bulk purchase of 7.1 million masks covers the requirements for 30 governmental entities across Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

During a time when so much of the world is facing COVID-19 and the increasing measures to protect themselves, demand for personal protection equipment (PPE) has risen well above available supply. The aggregate volume of this order helped MWCOG and BRCPC to secure these essential resources despite competition from across the country and the globe.

In addition to this important effort, purchasers, governments, private industry and individuals have taken novel approaches to secure the resources our region needs. Here are a few clever and inventive local examples:

• Distilleries have converted their operations to make hand sanitizer until the normal manufacturers of hand sanitizer could catch up with demand
• Textile companies have made gowns and masks for medical personnel at the request of local leaders
• Supplies of gowns and masks were found through coordination with promotional supply companies
• Local EMS providers have spared gloves, masks and wipes
• Local firms have donated materials, including gloves from tattoo shops and masks from gas equipment suppliers
• Local firms have donated warehousing to store bulk shipments of PPE supplies
• Purchasers have worked with promotional supply houses to vet foreign offers for N95 masks to ensure their legitimacy
• Cooperative purchasing is being used to aggregate the volume of orders to ensure we get the attention of manufacturers and competitive pricing
• Individuals are sewing masks at home to fill gaps for their communities

Regional procurement professionals and their partners in the manufacturing and supply sector have shined in this challenging time. We are proud to share that their cooperation is helping to save lives.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken many by surprise as this unprecedented crisis disrupts schedules, processes, and economic activity.

Renters and the rental housing industry in the Baltimore region are no exception. While current and necessary adaptions continue such as social distancing, stay at home orders, and business and school closures, we must turn our eyes to recovery and the financial challenges that vulnerable people will face as a result of the layoffs that accompany these unprecedented public health measures.

To this end, the Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s Housing Committee – local governments, housing agencies, and other stakeholders – submitted a letter to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) on April 8 offering strong support for a robust statewide rental assistance response to the COVID-19 crisis. 

The letter was signed by the Chair of the Housing Committee and of the Baltimore Regional Fair Housing Group, Erin Karpewicz from Anne Arundel County, and by the Chair of the Fair Housing Group's Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), Peter Engel from the Howard County Housing Commission.

The economic impact of COVID-19 threatens a cascade of housing-related economic hardships. Expiration of the current eviction moratorium could result in a surge of evictions even if workers return to work after a furlough but receive no back pay and therefore no ability to pay their back rent balances. Property owners missing substantial rental income risk defaulting on their loans and going out of business. Lenders left holding those bad mortgage loans and foreclosed properties could clamp down on credit, crippling the rental housing industry just as it is trying to recover from record tenant unemployment. 

The submitted letter expresses strong support for a State rental assistance program to help renters, property owners, and financial institutions to bridge this public health and economic emergency. Such a program would preserve our rental housing system, helping to smooth our economic recovery from our current dramatic public health measures.

BMC looks forward to continued work with local and State housing agencies and other stakeholders in supporting solutions for the Baltimore region in response to the current crisis.

As COVID-19 causes our workforce climate to shift from traditional brick and mortar offices and daily commutes, to virtual and telework options, working from home has quickly become the new standard.

Many organizations and professionals find the transition to this new norm challenging, primarily because of how quickly these shifts became necessary in response to the current health crisis.

BMC has gathered resources designed to help offices quickly develop and implement an effective telework program. These tools are available immediately for usage related to the current pandemic. They may also aid businesses in taking advantage of the long-term benefits associated with offering more permanent telework options.

Considering ongoing teleworking options beyond the pandemic offers benefits to both employers and employees. After implementing a telework program, organizations often report improved employee retention, reduced recruiting and training costs, improved productivity, reduced need for office space and reduced overhead as results. In addition, the reduction of cars on the road due to a decrease in daily commutes improves air quality for our region and beyond. There is value in considering long-term telework program offerings as temporary emergency options are established.