Maintaining Business Continuity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As we all navigate the COVID-19 pandemic – and the uncertainty and changes it brings – we know you need clear and practical guidance and valuable resources for business continuity.
We've compiled a variety of our most relevant Business Continuity Toolkit for Affordable Housing Organizations, which we developed to help affordable housing organizations like yours:
- Make your buildings more resilient
- Prepare your staff to handle emergencies
- Ensure your residents remain safe
- Ensure business continuity during and after a crisis
Our full library of Ready to Respond Tools is available to you free of charge as a resource for the entire affordable housing community. If you have questions about the toolkit, please contact Laurie Schoeman at lschoeman@enterprisecommunity.org.
If you're looking for other information, COVID-19 response page is current with the latest updates on the coronavirus as well as our recommendations to help protect communities, residents and landlords.
Business Continuity Guidance (Insurance, Vendors, Payments)
- Business Continuity Chief - Remains aware of the organization’s cash needs and insurance coverage, maintains vital business records, and oversees important financial and operational matters
- Benefits & Reimbursement Guide - Helps organizations navigate the various sources available for post-crisis funding
- Insurance Coverage Guide - Helps verify if an organization's insurance coverage is sufficient to protect the organization, buildings and residents in the event of a crisis or interruption in business activities
- Insurance Coverage Worksheet - Important information about an organization's various insurance policies to track existing coverage and identify gaps
- Vendor-Partner Contact List - Provides information for key vendors and partners related to an organization’s business continuity needs
- Payment Card Guide - Describes the purpose and benefits of using payment cards for crisis-related purchases
- Payment Card Worksheet - Tracks the status of payment cards and staff with payment card access
- Office Shutdown Checklist - Guides staff through an appropriate shutdown of equipment prior to an evacuation or emergency event
- Vital Records Guide - Best practices for collecting, organizing, storing and protecting records that are vital to business operations
- Vital Records Worksheet - Helps organizations prioritize their list of vital documents. It includes a recommended list of records to compile and should be customized to fit the needs of the organization
- Emergency Operations Center Guide - Tips and best practices for identifying and setting up an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) – a centralized operations location during a crisis
- IT Continuity Checklist - Guides organizations in protecting critical IT equipment
- IT Equipment Inventory Worksheet - Tracks critical IT and telecommunications equipment
External Communications Guidance
- External Communications Guide - Best practices for communicating with media and other external stakeholders before, during and after a crisis
- Staff Communications Guide - Helps organizations develop a multi-pronged communications strategy to send and receive information to and from staff members before, during, and after a crisis
Crisis Resources for Residents
- Resident Flyer Guide - How to produce flyers to update residents and provide crisis preparedness information
- Emergency Preparedness Flyer Template - Created in Microsoft Word, should be completed by the Resident Engagement Team Leader to notify residents about taking the necessary steps to self-prepare
- Emergency Update Flyer Template - Created in Microsoft Word, should be completed by the Resident Engagement Team Leader to notify residents of emergency updates
- Resident Services Contact List - Provides contact information for emergency contractors and agencies that support crisis recovery for residents
- Resident Survey - Gathers critical contact and special needs information plus communication preferences so the organization can reach and support residents effectively
- Floor Captain Guide - Describes the role of floor captains and how they can help support residents in crisis preparedness and response
- Video Series - Building a Prepared Community Through Resident Engagement
- Why are Resident Associations Important?
- Understand Civic Leadership in a Community
- Identify Cultural Diversity in a Community
- Understand Social and Economic Issues in a Community
- The Importance of the Community Center
- The Need for Low Cost WiFi
- Block by Block Organizing Structure
- The Importance of Block Captains in Diverse Neighborhoods
- Video Series - Crisis Preparedness for Seniors
- A Sociodemographic Profile of Older People in NYC
- Why do the Same Conditions Arise after Every Disaster?
- Suggestions for Housing Owners to Prepare Their Tenants for a Disaster
- Addressing the Needs of the Most Vulnerable
- How to Lessen the Impact on a System of Response During a Disaster
- Describe the Elderly Population
- What to do if You Lose Your Paper File System
- How do You Get Your Tenants Engaged?
- Describe the OEM Ready NY Packet and the “I’m OK” Flyer