DES MOINES, Iowa – The Des Moines City Council, during their meeting on Monday evening, voted unanimously to approve the reallocation of $500,000 from the city’s general fund to provide additional COVID-19 relief to support the residents of Des Moines. The funds will go towards rental and mortgage assistance and aid to those experiencing homelessness.
“We continue to look for the most effective ways to support the residents of Des Moines during these difficult times,” Mayor Frank Cownie said in a released statement. “The approval of these reallocated funds will help alleviate the burden many residents have found themselves and their families in during this challenging year.”
The reallocation of $500,000 from the City of Des Moines’ General Fund is the latest of several steps Des Moines has taken to support residents during the pandemic. Since May, the City of Des Moines has provided or distributed city, state, and federal relief funding totaling roughly $3.3 million in assistance for priorities such as:
- $1,100,000 in small business relief
- $684,970 in rental assistance and mortgage relief
- $481,807 providing 53,102 free meals to residents
- $330,487 homeless prevention
The city will draw the $500,000 from the general fund. The city anticipates that the federal government will reimburse a portion of those funds but are unsure of the exact amount at this time. Al Setka, the spokesman for the City of Des Moines, told The Iowa Torch that the city will send checks out this week to IMPACT Community Action Partnership, an organization which provides energy, food, and housing assistance, and HOME, Inc., who invests in low-income housing neighborhoods and empowers families to retain housing through education and counseling.
To access emergency housing assistance, you can call HOME, Inc. at 515-243-1277 or IMPACT Community Action Partnership at 515-518-4470. If you are looking for free legal advice regarding housing, contact Iowa Legal Aid at 800-532-1275.
Read the resolution below:
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