How communities are connected during the COVID-19 crisis

During the uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis, people are searching for ways to connect with experts, co-workers, friends, neighbors, and their community. They are accomplishing this by using technology, including virtual meetings, webinars, and conference call services.

Everyone is making sacrifices during this time and adjusting their regular routines and habits. TownSq, an all-in-one communication app used in the community management industry, has analyzed the platform’s trends during the crisis.

Residents take the guidelines seriously.

The app’s analysis found that access-controlled communities’ guest invitations dropped more than 50% in the first week alone. Residents are forgoing seeing friends and family and canceling events to ensure they are doing their part to flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Another interesting statistic is the drastic increase in package deliveries to communities. As COVID-19 concerns began to grow in late February and early March, deliveries to communities started to increase to levels generally seen around the holiday season. Homeowners are socially distancing themselves while maintaining necessary supplies and avoiding crowded grocery stores and markets.

Neighbors assist their neighbors.

The World Health Organization has reported that certain groups have an elevated risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, including people over 65 years of age and those with underlying medical conditions.

As a result, solidarity is growing organically in communities. Younger residents are offering to help with things like picking up groceries or other essentials for residents that are in the high-risk group. That shows an altruistic desire for people to naturally want to help those that need it most during these times.

Technology assists in effective communication.

As more strict guidelines are put into place and more people are operating from home, individuals and companies are looking for new tools to help improve communication during a crisis. In communities and HOAs, this essential need is equally present; effective communication is the key to making sure every resident is informed properly and up-to-date on important community news. The app has seen an increased trend of board members and managers publishing 92% more critical announcements and documents during this time.

“Announcement growth is directly tied to managers and boards’ making relevant information available to all residents in real-time. The need for urgent news has increased, so we are seeing the results of the platform accommodating that need, “said Luis Lafer-Sousa of TownSq.

Virtual tools facilitate connections.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the app has tracked a dramatic increase in platform engagement. Residents have taken social distancing seriously with a 45% decrease in visitor requests and an uptick in package deliveries, neighbors helping neighbors, and vital communication from boards of directors to residents.

We see this exponential growth as a strong sign of effective communication among our customers. It shows that people are looking for new ways to connect and help each other during this time, “said Lafer-Sousa. Communication between residents is surging with an outpouring of support for those most at-risk in their communities. For homeowners, they understand the importance of community connection and recognize the value of virtual tools to facilitate those connections.