• With the regional plan Connect SoCal, a 25-year vision for housing, transportation, and climate change, comes the numbers for housing needs in Orange County (and all of SoCal), known as the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation. OC cities must by law plan for over 183,000 new housing units in a range of affordability by 2029, nearly 5x higher than its previous allotment. OCBC supports good planning—this will be a challenge. Click here to see your community's housing targets! 

• To assist businesses during the pandemic, Orange County Community Resource Department is conducting a survey on its effects on workforce and business operations. This survey takes approximately 7 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey by 9/18.

• L.A. County officials are urging residents to avoid 2020 trick-or-treating, but the annual ritual can proceed safely, an economics professor contends. We simply need to “adopt the right precautions and the right attitude.”

• Childcare has come under intense focus during the COVID-19 pandemic as tens of millions of children across the nation suddenly found themselves on extended breaks from regular childcare. Learn more about the current childcare crisis and its impact in Orange County at The Orange County Community Indicators Virtual Rollout on Sept. 22.

• Spearheaded by Chrysalis’ Orange County Advisory Council, Working for 100 is a grassroots campaign that aims to place 100 people in jobs in 100 days and raise $100k. This unique effort features local business leaders and community influencers - like Ryan Chamberlain District Director of Orange County at Caltrans and Emily Grant Senior Public Affairs Manager at SoCalGas.

• California nearly lost the convenient transportation options offered by Lyft and Uber due to a court order. These companies help connect people with Orange County businesses. If they were forced to shut down the region as a whole would suffer. Vote yes on Prop. 22 to support drivers and their choice to be independent contractors. www.Yeson22.com/videos

• OC United Way calls on community leaders to share their school-to-career journey with local high school students as a Virtual Corporate Classroom Speaker. Speaker sessions are offered anytime throughout the week; RSVP today!

• Qualifying restaurants will receive a $1,000 grant after completing a five minute application. Learn more. Find out if you are going to a SafeDineOC restaurant: check the list here.

• Join OCBC and Cal State Fullerton on October 22 for the 26th Annual Economic Forecast Conference - The Great Disruption: Searching for Innovative Solutions and Infinite Possibilities in a Post-COVID World. Hear from Cal State Fullerton’s industry experts on the economic trends and forces shaping Orange County post-pandemic. Register today! A special thank you to all sponsors: U.S. Bank, CoreLogic, Boeing Capital Corporation, Cal State Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation, Commercial Bank of California, FivePoint Holdings, LLC, CommerceWest Bank, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Southwest Airlines, The Coca-Cola Company, Coast Community College District, Infinity Bank, SoCalGas, and Wells Fargo.

• Governor Newsom has signed legislation that would exclude PPP loans from gross income for state taxes and $100 million for a hiring tax credit. If you are a business with 100 or fewer employees and experienced significant economic harm due to the pandemic, the hiring credit will be equal to $1,000 for each employee hired between June and the end of November over the number of employees that you had to layoff between April and June. A business can use this tax credit to up to $100,000.

• On September 8, Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Connie Leyva, spoke to OCBC’s workforce development committee where she gave an overview of what happened in Sacramento for the 2020 legislative year. The two most important priorities of the legislative year, was protecting education from deep cuts and closing the digital divide given the virtual environment we are in. Orange County’s economic health is predicated on having a strong workforce, so we thank Senator Leyva for her time and commitment to education. If you missed the meeting, it can be viewed here. Password: W54+Ub&X

• CWLA’s Annual Conference is October 13-14, so SAVE THE DATE. We will be joined by former FOX anchor, author, and activist Gretchen Carlson; California's indomitable First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom; political trailblazers Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis and State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and many more! OCBC’s Lucy Dunn serves on the board. Register coming soon! 

• California Labor & Employment Law advise businesses to take workplace COVID-19 precautions seriously amidst the issue of fine citations that range from $2,025 to $51,190 by Cal/OSHA. 

• Small Business Development Center
• SBDC Resources for Small Businesses
• Go-BIZ FAQ for Small Businesses
• UCI Free Small Business Toolkit

• "In two recent outbreaks in U.S. food-processing plants where workers were told to wear masks, 95% of cases of coronavirus infections were asymptomatic, and the remaining 5% experienced only mild-to-moderate symptoms," says medical experts. Read more.

• Over 35 companies are in various development stages to help fight the spread of COVID-19. View the therapies and vaccine tracker to find out scientific details and projected timelines.

• Huntington Beach City Council will extend the closure of downtown streets for outdoor dining services through the end of the year. The city will enter discussion to make the extension permanent due to the community’s enjoyment.

• Fire Chief Mike Garcia asks Laguna Beach residents to remove dead or dying plant vegetation, trim tree canopies, and remove leaves and pine needles from yards and rain gutters to help prevent canyon and hillside fires. 

• Precautions to take to limit wildfire smoke exposure include air filters, reduce use of vacuums, candles, and gas stoves, check air index, and more. 

• As the 2020 Census deadline approaches on September 30, 2020, help shape the future of your community and complete your questionnaire here.

• Age Well Senior Services has extended their important senior food delivery program until October 9. Click here to learn more.

• The Los Angeles Chargers host a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new home, SoFi Stadium. The state-of-the-art venue welcomes a new era of sports as the NFL’s largest stadium, the first open-air, indoor-outdoor venue, and features the largest videoboard in sports. With a fan-first concept, SoFi Stadium welcomes up to 100,000 fans, 13,000 premium seats, 260 suites, seven suite concepts, and 12 club spaces.

• Wells Fargo launches Wells Fargo Student Impact Scholarship that will present 200 students with $5,000 each-funds. The scholarship aims to bridge the financial hardship students face by covering the cost of their instruction. Applications will open on September 14, 2020 for incoming and current college undergraduates enrolled in the Spring 2021 semester. 

• OCDE paves the path for positive mental health by providing no-cost training for educators on suicide risk prevention, restorative practices, and social-emotional classroom learning. Through partnerships with CHOC Children’s and Western Youth Services, a Mental Health Toolbox will be developed to alleviate the effects of COVID-19 on children’s mental health. The toolbox will offer 27, multilingual, virtual workshops for students, parents, and educators on developmental assets, protective factors, and the effects of stress on health.

• Anaheim Convention Center Test Site: Appointments Required.
• Testing Basics: COVID-19 Test Options.
• Free testing in OC: How to access.
• DO IT! Where to get tested in OC: Find a testing site near you. 
• OC Testing Sites: Appointment & walk-in resources.
• Public & private sector testing: Contact your provider today.
• COVID-19 Hotline: For general questions & information call: (714)-834-2000.
• OC Health Care Agency: Data Dashboard featuring confirmed COVID-19 cases.