Invisible Variables: the impact of social distancing policies and norms on vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has required decision-makers to act quickly to reduce the risk of disease spread. The adverse impacts of government-mandated social distancing measures on individuals are generally unknown. Vulnerable populations, such as low-income individuals, face unique challenges managing their safety, means, and autonomy in response to the policies implemented on local levels to curb the spread of COVID-19. This endeavor aims to understand the invisible variables that contribute to vulnerable individuals personal security during the hardships imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and institutional response. The Space Enabled Research Group has pioneered this framework to conceptualize overall wellbeing during the pandemic, of Personal Security. Personal Security is conceptualized as the interplay between an individuals perceived Safetye.g. their ability to live without risk of harm, their Resourcese.g. financial resources, and Autonomye.g. their ability to optimize their life to meet the needs of themselves and their dependents. This endeavor examines the impact of social distancing policies on individuals personal security in six sectors of life: housing, income and finances, employment, wellness, family and dependents, and healthcareby interviewing individuals living in Greater Boston during the pandemic about their experiences. Preliminary results indicate meta-themes around the impact of decision-making length, willingness to act decisively when much is unknown, the role if misinformation, and transportationto be impacting individuals in Greater Boston adversely during the pandemic. The role of organizational decision-making and an organizations willingness to act decisively is a key metric impacting the lives of individuals during the pandemic. Findings from this study indicate that organizational decisiveness is a key metric that local policy-makers and organization leads should optimize for in order to reduce burden on vulnerable individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results are important in the scope of the pandemic as well as in the scope of ongoing climate-related infrastructural disasters.