| Item Title: | Community Services Department/CARES Financial Assistance |
| Submitted By: | Irene G. Valenzuela, Executive Director, Community Services Department (915) 775-2708 |
| Subject: | Approve and authorize the County Judge to execute an Agreement with the El Paso Community Foundation in the amount of $500,000 to deploy financial assistance through a debit-card disbursement process to County residents who have been affected by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. Funding is available in
SG-COVID19-OPERATING EXP. (Contract No. 2020-0458) |
| Background: | On June 1, 2020, the Commissioners Court approved and appropriation of $500,000 from the CARES Act General Assistance allocation to fund a financial assistance program that would distribute debit-cards to qualifying County residents affected by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis to purchase essential items such as medicine, groceries, hygiene and personal care products, vehicle maintenance and repair.
Financial assistance will be distributed via a one-time debit card per qualifying household not to exceed $1,000. Household need will be determined by a point system with greatest weight given to low-income populations that are at or below 80% of the Area Median Income for El Paso, the unemployed due to COVID19, COVID19 positive households, those left out of the federal stimulus bill, and households who are ineligible for unemployment benefits. |
| Fiscal Impact: | $500,000 CARES Act funds available in:
COMMUNITY SERVICE-SUPPORT ASSIST-GENERAL
GCOVID2020-600000-602700-602703
SG-COVID19-OPERATING EXP
COSG-7253-0002020-431-50-11000-0001-00000-600000- |
| Recommendation: | Approve and authorize the County Judge to execute an Agreement with the El Paso Community Foundation in the amount of $500,000 to deploy financial assistance through a debit-card disbursement process to County residents who have been affected by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. Funding is available in SG-COVID19-OPERATING EXP. (Contract No. 2020-0458) |
| Prior Action: | 6/1/2020 item # 11 |
| Strategic Plan: | .. |
| Strategic Plan Information: | |