It seems like they are … as far as we can tell, meeting the demand because they are really committed to working toward meeting that demand.Īccording to Walsh, they’ve shifted to delivery services and working with local restaurants.Īlthough they didn’t ask much about infrastructure, one thing they also heard was the walkability of the community. “It seems like these organizations are serving a great number of people. “Lower Merion has a number of very committed food resources agencies, and they described the increased demand for their services since the pandemic,” she said. Walsh said another issue they knew would be a big issue was what she described as food insecurity. “The most prevalent needs we heard affordable housing first and foremost,” Walsh said.Īffordable housing not only included the costs for rent but also concerns about people being pushed out of the community due to costs, housing affordability for seniors, and the ability for seniors to age in place.Īnother housing issue was the ability of homeowners to renovate their properties.Īnother topic cited by Walsh was other needs for seniors, such as being able to remain in the same community, social isolation, and the need for senior services connected to mental health. Many of those needs, she said, are not visible and tend to follow national trends.

Walsh said their findings show that many people who were in need before the pandemic were made worse. But without a doubt, there are pockets of need.”

“What we heard is that quality of life is high, and it has fared relatively well through the pandemic. “Overall, residents that we spoke with and residents that responded to the survey felt positive about life in Lower Merion – which is a good thing,” Walsh said. “Our approach was to gather primary data directly from community members and compare that with secondary data sources.”

“The goal of this process was to understand the current needs in the township that may have been shifted or exacerbated by the COVID-19,” Walsh said.

Major issues of lower merion township