The recently approved Phase 4 stimulus package approved by the Federal government included $25 billion for cities and counties and will soon be allocated directly to jurisdictions by the Treasury Department. This means there will be a direct allocation to the City of Modesto, which is great news for our community.
The City of Modesto is expected to receive between $5-7 million and the County is expected to receive between $9-11 million to support the other eight cities and unincorporated areas. Further, the National Association of Counties is estimating that our allocation to be approximately $6.4 million, and the County will receive approximately $10 million (please note these are just estimates at this time). The funding will be available for low-income renters affected by COVID-19 to cover rental (not mortgage) payments and utility arrears, and ongoing rental assistance for up to 12 months.
Too many in our community are scared about the prospect of becoming unsheltered as a result of the pandemic, and we look forward to putting this new funding source directly into the hands of those in need as soon as possible.
While many questions remain unanswered regarding the program, such as the specific award amount and when the funding will become available, this funding will offer significant financial relief to Modesto residents.
Stay tuned for more!