ST. LOUIS — The City of St. Louis is a step closer to infusing $80 million into the community.
The St. Louis Board of Estimate and Apportionment Wednesday passed Mayor Tishaura Jones’ plan that addresses public health, public safety and stabilizing the city’s economy using federal relief funds.
“There is an urgent need to get these relief funds to St. Louisans as soon as possible. We must get more shots in arms, keep families in their homes and build out youth programming and jobs to improve public safety this summer,” Jones said in a news release Wednesday afternoon.
Note: The video above is from when Jones announced her plans.
The mayor previously said the plan would help fix outdated policies and inequities of the past. She described it as offering “bold, new solutions to fix decades’ old problems.”
Jones’ office released this breakdown of how the $80 million would be spent:
- $6.75 million in public health infrastructure to get people the resources they need and vaccinate them with mobile vaccine clinics and community canvasses, meeting St. Louisans in their neighborhoods and homes
- $58 million in direct, urgent economic relief, including housing and utility assistance, support for the unhoused, immediate cash assistance and public benefits navigators to help residents connect with these services
- $11.5 million to address the root causes of crime and improve public safety through increased funding for violence intervention programs and youth programming and jobs to keep youth engaged and safe
"The past year and a half has been devastating for St. Louis families and businesses," said Comptroller Darlene Green. "The relief package presented by Mayor Jones prioritizes addressing the most urgent needs for our residents, and I encourage everyone to work together so that we can quickly put these relief funds to work for our community."
After passing the St. Louis Board of Estimate and Apportionment Wednesday afternoon, the proposal now goes to the full Board of Aldermen for approval.
Congresswoman Cori Bush sent a letter to the Board of Aldermen calling for the Board to pass the proposal quickly.
The $80 million is the first batch of money from the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Jones presented her plan earlier this month after gathering input from about 2,500 people, including citizens and the mayor’s stimulus advisory board.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the board also approved $200,000 in funding for the United Way and Urban League to continue rental assistance programs in anticipation of the federal eviction moratorium ending next month.
Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed is pushing to have Board Bill 2 approved by the Board of Alderman and on Jones' desk by July 16. This bill would spend the ARPA funds on addressing housing instability, public health and welfare.