The shutdown of building projects in New York and other states has left many construction workers without any income. Those still on the job are worried about their health.
As cities across the US paused business deemed nonessential, builders argued that people still need homes and that the safety protocols in place were enough to protect workers. The Department of Homeland Security then designated single-family and multifamily construction as “essential infrastructure business.”
States can still supersede this federal recommendation even as they tighten their social-distancing measures. Washington, Michigan and Pennsylvania have also paused “non-essential” construction. Yet most states—even those reporting a high number of COVID-19 cases, such as California and Florida—continue to exempt construction from shutdown orders.
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