With a few billion in federal COVID relief money left to spend, the legislature has prioritized spending on food and shelter. Governor Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill allocating a large portion of the money toward basic needs.
Whitmer has often referred to the federal money as an “unprecedented opportunity” and praised the bi-partisan effort to help Michigan families.
The spending bills give $1.5 billion to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and $378.3 million to the Emergency Rental Assistance program. Other allocations include $65.2 million to State Police for emergency and disaster response expenses, and $21 million for the purchase of tax vouchers issued by the state to Venture Michigan Fund, intended to generate investment capital.
There is also over $332 million that is being sent to local governments to use for a variety of purposes, from direct assistance to families to infrastructure projects, and to make up for lost revenue during the pandemic.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
