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Deschutes
County to distribute $4.39 million in CARES Act funding
The
Deschutes County Board of Commissioners has allocated the
remaining $4.39 million of federal funding from the Coronavirus
Relief Fund (CRF) from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
Security (CARES) Act to support local families and businesses
impacted by COVID-19 and continue to invest in local public
health response to the pandemic.
The
County’s investments include:
Support for children, families, individuals and most
vulnerable populations - $1.32 million
$1.17
million to support housing and basic needs, including rent and
mortgage assistance and food recovery, distributed to
NeighborImpact. $150,000 to support the Bend Heroes Foundation’s
proposed Veterans’ Village project.
“We’re
excited to be able to partner with local nonprofits to get this
money into the hands of people that desperately need it,” said
Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone.
Childcare to support working families - $1,065,700
$650,000
to support child care for school-age children through Better
Together, a local non-profit organization that focuses on
regional, cross-sector partnerships that work to improve
education outcomes for children and youth from cradle to career.
Better Together is working to support children and families by
giving kids a safe, supported place to learn. $400,000 to support
regional childcare providers, distributed through NeighborImpact.
$15,700 to support expanded youth programming through Deschutes
County 4-H.
Support for local businesses - $772,000
$572,000
in rebates for local restaurant, hotel, pool and spa owners for
Environmental Health fees paid to Deschutes County Health
Services. $200,000 for business assistance through grants and
case management services, distributed through Central Oregon Intergovernmental
Council and/or local chambers.
“There is
no doubt that COVID-19 has been challenging for local business
owners,” said Commissioner Phil Henderson. “We want to do
everything we can to continue to support business owners. In
addition to direct financial support, we also recognize the
critical importance of investing in childcare and programs that
will offer care for school-age children so we can support
families as they return to work."
Public health response - $983,500
A $983,500
investment in local public health response, which includes
support for additional COVID-19 testing, a new Health and Social
Services navigator to serve vulnerable populations, support for
bilingual community engagement and education and support for a
community survey to inform public health messaging, outreach and
education.
“Our
Public Health team continues to work tirelessly to protect the
health and safety of our community,” said Deschutes County
Commissioner Patti Adair. “We hope these additional investments
will bolster local COVID-19 testing and equip our Public Health
team to continue to do everything we can to help our communities
stay healthy.”
The Board
of Commissioners also allocated $250,000 to cover costs related
to COVID-19 response, including expanded Family Medical Leave Act
(FMLA) leave for employees and modifications to County
facilities.
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