IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION requesting the County Administration to develop and present to the Legislature for consideration a plan for the expenditure of emergency rental assistance funds recently provided by the United States government.
Intro
RESOLUTION NO. 20629, March 1, 2021
INTRODUCED BY Ronald E. Finley, County Legislator
Body
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic due to COVID-19; and,
WHEREAS, the United States government has approved multiple emergency relief packages to provide funds to the County, other local governments, and citizens to meet unanticipated public health and economic needs caused by the pandemic; and,
WHEREAS, the recently announced emergency rental assistance (ERA) program makes available $25 billion to assist households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and,
WHEREAS, on January 26, 2021, the County received its allocation of ERA funds from the U.S. Treasury in the amount of $11,550,205; and,
WHEREAS, the County is required to use the funds to provide assistance to eligible households through existing or newly created rental assistance programs; and,
WHEREAS, the County may only use the funds to provide financial assistance and housing stability services to eligible households; and,
WHEREAS, to be eligible, a household must be obligated to pay rent on a residential dwelling and the County must determine that one or more individuals within a household has qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 outbreak; one or more individuals within the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and the household has a household income at or below 80% of the area’s median income; and,
WHEREAS, in view of restrictions placed on the use of these ERA funds, it is appropriate that these funds be maintained in a separate and identified County special revenue fund and not commingled with the general or other special revenue funds of the County; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the Legislature hereby requests the County Administration propose a program plan, including administration and the recommendation of an agency to administer the plan, for the intended use of the federal ERA funds, for consideration by the Legislature.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________ ________________________________
Chief Deputy County Counselor County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution No. 20629 of March 1, 2021, was duly passed on March 1, 2021 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas ______9___________ Nays ______0________
Abstaining ______0_______ Absent _____0_______
_________________ ________________________________
Date Mary Jo Spino, Clerk of Legislature