Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney announced Tuesday plans to funnel $5.8 million in local and federal funds toward emergency housing needs amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The plan will be funded primarily through $4.2 million from the federal coronavirus relief bill called the CARES Act, passed by Congress last month. Grants will support the city’s Eviction Diversion Program, increase bed capacity at emergency shelters, aid families experiencing homelessness and address housing insecurity, a city news release states.
Stoney aims to pair the federal funds with $1 million from the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, though the plan will need City Council’s approval through a budget amendment.
“Despite the uncertainty around the budget, we are allocating these funds to serve the Richmond families most in need,” he says.
Additionally, Stoney has authorized grants totaling $550,000 to two city nonprofits using authority he received through active State of Emergency declarations in Richmond and throughout the state.
Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) will be awarded $250,000 to support the Eviction Diversion Program, a city initiative to financially assist tenants in danger of losing their homes, while regional homeless services coordinator Homeward will receive $300,000 to shelter and help the region’s homeless population during the coronavirus pandemic.
“These dollars are vital to address the urgent housing needs within our community, especially for our homeless and housing insecure,” said Stoney. “However, we must also keep in mind that housing insecurity existed before this pandemic and will still exist after. We must not only implement short-term solutions, but plan for long-term permanent housing solutions as well.”
