COVID-19 PREPAREDNESS
FOR APARTMENT FIRMS
The information provided herein is general in nature and is not
intended to be legal advice. It is designed to assist our members in
understanding this issue area, but it is not intended to address specific
circumstances or business situations. For specific legal advice, consult
your attorney.
T
he Center for Disease Control
(CDC) is currently monitoring
a new outbreak of coronavirus,
(COVID-19), which originated in
Wuhan, China and is causing respiratory
illness in populations across the globe,
including in the U.S. and among people with
no known connection to the cases in China.
As cases of the novel coronavirus,
(COVID-19) spread across the country,
apartment firms need to prepare for potential
impact to their communities and to address
employee and resident concerns of potential
exposure at their properties or workplaces.
They also need to take measures to help stop
the spread of the virus.
To help them do that, NMHC has
compiled an overview of suggested apartment
owner preparations and considerations.
NMHC recognizes that the broad array
of company types, sizes and geographic
locations that make up the apartment
industry discourages a one-size-fits-all
approach to planning.
Also note that this overview is not to
be construed as legal guidance. Instead,
it is meant to be a starting point for your
company-specific plan. We encourage firms to
seek expert consultation in the development of
their plan to ensure comprehensive coverage.
Given the fast nature evolution of this
situation, NMHC encourages firms to
monitor our “Coronavirus Resources for
Apartment Firms” landing page, which
includes links to resources from the Center
for Disease Control (CDC), World Health
www.aamdhq.org
Organization (WHO), Department of Labor
(DOL), Environment Protection Agency
(EPA) and other organizations. We strongly
recommend regularly visiting these sites for
the latest news on this outbreak.
Develop an Incident Response
Plan for Possible COVID-19
Exposure at Apartment
Communities
Firms should start by creating a "Crisis
Team" comprised of senior executives
charged with developing the plan and
carrying it out. This type of plan should be
flexible and actionable regardless of whether
the apartment firm is facing a potential
outbreak like COVID-19 or staring down a
catastrophic hurricane.
In this case, since the impacts of the
spread of COVID-19 can vary significantly,
team members should include personnel from
the corporate suite, risk management, human
resources, legal, information technology, and
operations. And team members should have
decision-making and spending authority. For
further guidance on how firms should create
or enhance their Incident Response Plan,
NMHC has provided an overview which can
be accessed here.
Firms should also familiarize themselves
with state and local public health and disaster
management authorities, learn how to
access and use their resources and designate
individuals to maintain these relationships.
Information Provided By:
These individuals will be responsible for
providing your community with the most
up-to-date information about a pandemic, the
recommended procedures.
Monitor and Communicate
with Government Officials
Regardless of the type of disaster or
situation that has the potential to impact an
apartment community, it is imperative for
onsite staff and management to regularly
monitor and communicate with public
officials and first responders. Often, local,
state or federal agencies are coordinating
response with the private sector and will
have the most up-to-date information on
preparation, impact and recovery efforts.
In this instance of the spread of
COVID-19, apartment firms that are in
affected communities should establish and
maintain contact with local and state health
departments and disaster management
authorities. They should learn how to
access and use their resources and designate
individuals to maintain these relationships.
These individuals will be responsible for
providing your community with the most
up-to-date information about a pandemic, the
recommended procedures and the mandatory
activities.
All firms should monitor the websites
and social media of the CDC, local and
state health departments as well as other
public officials to remain current on the latest
available information.
APRIL 2020
TRENDS | 15