Community Corner
Flint Police Chief, City Land Massive Covid-19 Grant
The award will fund COVID-19 response and related expenses in the City of Flint.
FLINT, Michigan–Through the leadership of Police Chief Phil Hart, the City of Flint has secured a grant for $411,348 from the Department of Justice — one of the state’s largest awards.
The award will fund COVID-19 response and related expenses in the City of Flint. It is a major win for the City, which has continued to focus on proactively responding to slow the spread of the virus and save lives.
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The Department of Justice grant is being made through the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program. The City of Detroit is the only municipality to receive more funding than Flint with a grant of $3.3 million.
In total, 59 grants worth $24.8 million have been awarded statewide. The bulk went directly to the State of Michigan, which received $16.4 million.
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The median grant amount awarded in Michigan is less than $60,000.
“We are both thankful and honored that by awarding us such a substantial grant award, the Department of Justice recognized the amount of work being done in the City of Flint to protect against the spread of coronavirus,” Chief Hart said.
Some, but not all of the funding, will go toward Public Safety expenses including overtime, hazard pay, and personal protective equipment. Chief Hart also helped to secure funding for expenses incurred throughout City Hall including supplies, signage, and other associated costs.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley thanked Chief Hart for his leadership by identifying the grant opportunity and working with grant writers to help the city to apply for these dollars.
“We will continue to be proactive in our response to COVID-19 in this community,” Mayor Neeley said. “We must remain vigilant in our work to slow the spread of this deadly virus.”
The deadline for applying for these funds was May 29, 2020. The Department of Justice awarded 1,827 grants. Other local awards include grants to Flint Township for $71,917, Genesee County for $58,008, and Mt. Morris Township for $33,386.
This press release was produced by the City of Flint. The views expressed here are the author’s own.