CARES Financial Assistance, State Of Local Emergency Extended

From the Pinellas County Government:

Pinellas County has extended its CARES Financial Assistance program to help individuals and families who have lost a job or significant income due to COVID-19 and plans to launch new programs for local businesses as well as countywide pandemic response in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners also voted to extend the County’s State of Local Emergency Declaration for COVID-19 with no changes through July 10. The extension allows County Administrator Barry A. Burton to authorize expenditures needed to ensure public safety, such as replenishing personal protection equipment supplies, and further positions the County to seek federal reimbursement of expenses.

New CARES programs in development
Pinellas County acted quickly to offer emergency assistance to those most impacted by COVID-19 by launching two programs on May 1 for individuals, families and small businesses.

Both programs were set to expire June 30, but the County will continue Pinellas CARES Financial Assistance for individuals and families until the BCC votes on new CARES programs.

The Financial Assistance program provides payments of up to $4,000 to cover overdue rent, mortgage and/or utility bills. Residents can apply by texting COVIDCARES to 898211 or find program details at: https://covid19.pinellascounty.org/pinellascaresindividual/

More than 1,000 households have already been helped with more than 3,000 applications in process.

A separate program offering one-time grants of $5,000 to small businesses with a commercial location will close applications today, Tuesday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m., but a new program aimed at helping more businesses is scheduled to go before the BCC for consideration in July.

More than 5,000 businesses have applied to the grant program, with more than $12 million in assistance distributed to date. Staff continue working every day to quickly process remaining applications to the program.

Pinellas County has been gathering public input in recent weeks on new programs to be funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, including an online community conversation and a survey that garnered 1,114 responses.

CARES funding can be used for bolstering public health programs and supplies related to COVID-19 and financial assistance to individuals, businesses and local organizations impacted by the pandemic.

This press release was produced by the Pinellas County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.