Mayor Krewson Asks Board of Aldermen to Pass New Legislation to Address Continued Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic

Mayor Lyda Krewson is asking the Board of Aldermen to pass new legislation that will address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on St. Louis.

January 13, 2021 | 2 min reading time

This article is 3 years old. It was published on January 13, 2021.

Mayor Lyda Krewson today announced she is asking the Board of Aldermen to pass new legislation that will address the continued health, humanitarian, and socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our most vulnerable St. Louisans.

"Recent news surrounding the vaccines certainly represents hope for light at the end of this very dark tunnel. But we know that even as more people are vaccinated, the effects of COVID-19 will not go away overnight. It’s important for the City to prepare to meet the long-term needs of our residents, including doing everything we can to try and keep as many people as possible protected from the virus and safely in their homes," said Mayor Krewson.

Last month, a federal 2021 pandemic relief package totaling $900 billion was signed into law that provides additional financial support to state and local governments.

In the coming days and weeks, Mayor Krewson will work with the Board of Aldermen and the Board of Estimate and Apportionment on legislation that allows the City to receive and appropriate its projected allotment of this federal funding.

The legislation, Board Bill 239, is sponsored by President of the Board Aldermen Lewis Reed, cosponsored by 5th Ward Alderwoman Tammika Hubbard and 13th Ward Alderwoman Beth Murphy, and will be introduced and first read during the Board’s regularly scheduled virtual meeting at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 15.

From the 2021 federal relief package, the City anticipates receiving:

  • $9.4 million in coronavirus-related housing relief funds to help individuals cover past due rent, future rent payments, and utility and energy bills to avoid shutoffs
  • Up to $75 million in potential emergency coronavirus-related health funds to assist the City’s Department of Health with its unprecedented response to the pandemic over the next several months
  • $4 million in coronavirus-related funds to reduce late payments from low-income households for bills from water and wastewater services

The Administration last week submitted the City’s application directly to the U.S. Treasury in order to expedite the process of receiving the $9.4 million in funding for rental assistance. Additional details will be forthcoming about how the City intends to disburse the additional funding out into the community and where eligible residents will be able to apply.

This is the Administration’s second major COVID-19 relief legislation since the pandemic began. The first, which Mayor Krewson signed in July, included more than $35 million in federal CARES Act funding.

The 2021 federal relief bill allows local governments, such as the City of St. Louis, to continue investing CARES Act dollars until December 31, 2021.

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