Mental health, affordable housing and diversity-related disparities are the top three needs facing Frederick County, according to a study commissioned by The Community Foundation of Frederick County.
The 35 people interviewed, called “key informants” in the assessment, represent 20 leaders from public sector organizations, 14 leaders from nonprofit organizations and one person from a specific community of interest, according to the study. Informants included representatives from local and county government, health care providers, police, churches, and cultural organizations.
The interviews for the update of the evaluation were carried out between January 20 and March 14.
The Community Foundation manages millions of dollars through hundreds of funds, such as grants and scholarships. Some people put their money towards scholarships or specific causes. Others make unrestricted donations that allow the Community Foundation to decide where the money goes.
The human needs assessment influences where the Community Foundation invests unrestricted funds to make the greatest impact in the community, according to President and CEO Elizabeth Y. Day. Grant applications that address major community needs will receive additional consideration, she said.
The foundation is often asked about the most pressing needs in the community, Day said.
“It is important that the Community Foundation has information at its fingertips to address these queries, and that this information is based on strong evidence based not only on perceptions, but also on data,” he said Monday.
To gather that information, the Community Foundation conducted its first community-wide needs assessment in 2011, then another in 2018. Day said the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the Community Foundation to seek an updated study this year.
In the 2022 update, human needs in the context of COVID-19 were examined. Informants were asked what positives and negatives about human service systems the pandemic revealed.
In terms of mental health, key informants expressed concern about the long-term trauma that people have experienced due to the pandemic, according to the assessment.
Isolated older people, children deprived of school and the stress of frontline workers were some of the issues raised. There is concern that the need for mental health and child care services may overwhelm the organizations that provide such services.
Informants said rising housing costs are driving people to move out of Frederick County. Housing went from “expensive to unaffordable and unaffordable” during the pandemic, informants reported, according to the assessment.
Informants attributed the change to wealthier people who could work remotely moving into the county, driving up the cost of living. The apartment rental market in the city of Frederick was compared to that of Washington, DC
For the purposes of the evaluation, diversity was defined as race, ethnicity, gender, income, age, and geographic location. Most informants linked other human needs to disparities in diversity, according to the assessment.
“These patterns are evident in the need for mental health care, affordable housing, transportation, better job opportunities and physical health care” and Internet access, according to the assessment.
There is also a need for bilingual service providers to better serve the Spanish-speaking population, according to the assessment.
Other top needs identified in the assessment were transportation, seniors/aging, income/jobs, health care, and substance use disorder.
While informants said the pandemic exacerbated disparities in service delivery, it also highlighted the community’s resilience. Most nonprofits and public sector organizations have quickly adapted to remote work, according to the assessment, providing technology such as computers, tablets and free Wi-Fi to the people they serve.
The pandemic sparked a “strong sense of community purpose,” according to the assessment.
Most informants in the assessment were optimistic about the county’s ability to respond effectively to human needs over the next five years. Nine informants reported that they were very optimistic, 20 were cautiously optimistic, four were cautiously pessimistic, and two were very pessimistic, according to the assessment.
To improve community needs, informants suggested raising mental health awareness, “more ‘honest conversations’ about diversity, equity, and inclusion,” and making efforts to overcome “entrenched political differences.” Some informants expressed concern that county leaders operate with a “small town” mentality in what is becoming a complex metropolitan area.
Day said the results of the 2022 assessment will be included in the Community Foundation’s strategic plan. The assessment is also intended to be a decision-making tool for the community, she said.
“Our goal is to keep this report from collecting dust on a shelf,” Day said.
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