The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development dispersed $462,000 of additional Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to the City of Port Huron for COVID-19 Relief. City officials plan to work with community organizations that have systems in place to make sure the funds reach those in need.
An action plan was created to distribute the funds, pending approval from the City Council at their next meeting on April 27, 2020:
Community Action Agency: $135,000 for residential rental and mortgage assistance, $75,000 for residential utility bill assistance
COVID-19 Testing Sites: $50,000
EDA: $75,000 for small business assistance
Blue Water Rescue Mission: $20,000 for homeless assistance
Council on Aging: $47,000 for senior citizens/Meals on Wheels
Food Gardening Program: $15,000
Mayor Pauline Repp said, “It is our focus to use these funds to assist the most vulnerable in our community, the families struggling with rent, to pay the utility bills and food insecurity. We do not want to sit on these funds for any amount of time, we are working urgently to get these resources out to our residents in need as fast as possible, because the need is now.”
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
