Targeted Cash Assistance

Targeted cash assistance programs invest directly into low-income people who have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The City’s Department of Human Services and Treasurer’s Office contracted with the United Way of Greater St. Louis and MoCaFi to disburse $500 cash payments to approximately 9,300 low and moderate income city residents. The program received over 10,000 applications in a 4-day span in December 2021, demonstrating the need for unrestricted relief funds. Since early 2022, the City of St. Louis has led additional in-person application assistance events in partnership with St. Louis Public Schools, several senior homes, and summer lunch programs to directly reach households who may qualify for the program. The City of St. Louis partnered with Missouri Jobs with Justice (MO JWJ) to reach out to individuals who received the payments to learn more about the impact of the program. MO JWJ found residents share “The money came just in time” and “As a senior citizen on a fixed budget, this check helped in ways that no way anyone could imagine. If the payments could have been a little bit higher it would have made a huge difference.” People who received the payments shared it helped them to buy groceries, fix their car, finally buy a new pair of glasses, or simply give their kids a nice Christmas.