ST. LOUIS — Christmas is just around the corner and families in St. Louis could find a little extra in their stocking thanks to federal stimulus funds.
“Some will use it on rent,” said Cristina Garmendia, principal of URBNRX. “Some will use it on food. Some will use it on Christmas gifts, and all of those things are totally reasonable.”
St. Louis will begin accepting applications for stimulus funds Dec. 18th.
In order to be eligible for the $500 payment, you must be live in the city of St. Louis, make less than 80% of the area’s median income, and prove you were impacted financially by the COVID-19 crisis.
“We want these checks to go out to the people that are in most need throughout the city of St. Louis,” said St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed.
“It’s not going to reach everyone that’s eligible but it’s going to touch a significant number,” said Garmendia.
When all is said and done roughly 9,300 families will receive the funds from the city.
“Every time somebody hears it the only thing they hear is everybody is getting $500,” said Reed. “That’s just not the case.”
That’s why Reed believes that money may be better spent elsewhere.
“I don’t think that we should use the bulk of our money in direct checks,” said Reed. “It will not be transformative.”
With the city set to receive more than $500 million in federal funds, Reed believes the city should put more money towards job training programs, home repairs, rental assistance, and ensuring that St. Louis residents are vaccinated against COVID.
“This is an opportunity for change,” said Reed. “We have to be very prudent about how we spend it, and do it in the right way.”
“The whole country is watching cities like St. Louis,” said Garmendia. “We're one of the first cities to get federal stimulus money, so we're really going to be serving as an example for other cities on how to provide direct relief."
It’s still not clear when the checks will be delivered.
The CARES Act funding must be allocated by 2024.