U.S. Rep. Cori Bush Calls On St. Louis Board Of Aldermen To Pass Mayor's $80 Million Direct Relief Plan

From the City of St. Louis:

June 29, 2021

Last Friday, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released a letter to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen and President Lewis Reed calling on the Board to quickly pass Mayor Tishaura O. Jones’ $80 million direct relief package, an initial investment of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the Congresswoman helped secure to get St. Louisans vaccinated, provide relief to families and fund community violence intervention programs.

Congresswoman Bush recognizes the multiple crises impacting our city and worked hard to get $517 million in ARPA funds to help transform St. Louis. In her letter she writes:

“The need to quickly get direct relief into the hands of St. Louisans cannot be overstated. While the federal CDC moratorium on evictions was extended through July, millions of people are behind on rent and at risk of losing their homes. This is an unprecedented social, political, and economic crisis that must be addressed with the highest level of care for the safety, health, and wellbeing of St. Louis residents. As elected representatives, it is our sworn duty and obligation to protect our constituents, especially during times of global crises and emergencies.
“...I implore the Board to pass the Mayor’s proposed direct relief package in the budget for St. Louis City. It will support those among us in St. Louis most urgently in need of assistance to recover from the devastating harms of COVID-19. I am confident the Board will take into consideration the dire urgency of this moment and swiftly deliver the nearly $80 million in relief funds to support community violence prevention, rental assistance, safe havens and emergency shelters, affordable housing initiatives, child care providers, youth jobs, and so many more programs and initiatives that will meet the needs of our vibrant community in St. Louis.”

The full letter is attached.

This press release was produced by the City of St. Louis. The views expressed here are the author’s own.