County gets emergency funding to help homeless, fight spread of virus
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — El Dorado County is receiving over $200,000 to help protect the health and safety of people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
California announced Tuesday in a press release from the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency that $100 million in emergency grant funding was awarded to counties, continuums of care, and the state’s 13 largest cities.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 89 on March 17, which was approved unanimously by the state Legislature. SB 89 authorized a total appropriation of up to $1 billion to provide assistance to help fight the spread of COVID-19, states the release.
On March 18, Gov. Newsom’s administration allocated $100 million in emergency funding from SB 89 to local governments to help protect the homeless and reduce the spread of COVID-19 by safely getting individuals into shelter and providing immediate housing options.
The BCSH’s Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council sent out award letters Monday.
“The fast action by the legislature in approving this funding has been matched by the swift action taken by our Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council to get this money out the door and to the local jurisdictions where it’s needed,” said Gov. Newsom in the release. “This is money that will be immediately available to help those who are homeless – among the most vulnerable to COVID-19.”
California’s 13 largest cities, or cities that are also a county, will receive $42,968,750, while the state’s 58 counties will receive $27,343,750 and California’s 44 COCs will receive $29,687,500.
El Dorado County has been allocated $109,908.68 and its COCs will receive $119,462.49.
According to the release, the funding is intended for measures to help prevent and contain COVID-19 and can be used for medically indicated services and supplies, such as testing and hand-washing stations.
It can also be used for such things as acquiring new shelters, supplies and equipment for emergency shelter operations, increasing shelter capacity, street outreach, and acquiring locations to place individuals who need to be isolated because of COVID-19 illness or exposure.
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