Community Corner
Jacksonville Mayor Signs Legislation Allocating $159 Million To Coronairus Response
The legislation allocates nearly $160 million in Federal CARES Act funds to provide relief to citizens and support response to COVID-19.
April 28, 2020
Federal Dollars to Support Assistance for Individuals and Bolster Area Testing Operations
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In his local COVID-19 virtual update, Mayor Lenny Curry signed City Ordinance 2020-235 which was recently approved by City Council. The legislation allocates nearly $160 million in Federal CARES Act funds to provide relief to citizens and support the ongoing response to COVID-19.
The Jacksonville COVID-19 Relief Program will include $40 million in direct stimulus for individuals to help with mortgage, rent and utility payments. This program will provide $1,000 in relief to 40,000 households that meet certain criteria. This includes:
You must be a Duval County resident
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Provide proof you were employed on February 29, 2020
Make less than $75,000 per entire household on the date of application (Applicants will be required to sign an affidavit attesting to this.)
Have lost at least 25% of your income because of the COVID-19 crisis(Applicants will be required to sign an affidavit attesting to this.)
City personnel are currently training to process applications. Information will be shared about how eligible citizens can apply for individual assistance in the coming days.
In addition, $35 million will be allocated toward sustained COVID-19 testing, testing sites and other healthcare infrastructure needs. Testing will be offered throughout Jacksonville so that we can serve every neighborhood. $12.5 million will go to the City’s COVID-19 emergency account for response expenditures not reimbursed by FEMA. $4 million will be allocated to provide for a six-month moratorium on mobility fees and $5 million will go towards a six-month moratorium on building inspection fees. $20 million will be allocated for non-profit and for-profit businesses within Duval County that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
FIS, a Jacksonville based Fortune 500 company, will graciously assist with issuing the $1,000 preloaded pay cards to ensure that recipients get the money as quickly as possible, and without having to absorb added fees.
This press release was produced by the City of Jacksonville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.