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Mayor Hogsett announces third round of COVID-19 relief funding

The third and final allocation of CARES Act COVID-19 Relief funding will grant $76 million to public health, social services and economic recovery.
Credit: WTHR

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Wednesday night that the City-County Council unanimously passed a third and final allocation of CARES Act COVID-19 Relief funding. 

The $76 million allocation extends existing programs formed in response to the pandemic and funds the creation of several new initiatives for public health, social services and economic recovery.

“These appropriations will fully spend down all of our remaining federal funding in the hopes that these new and expanded programs will provide hope to our neighbors when they need it the most,” Mayor Hogsett said in a release. “But we know that these dollars are woefully insufficient to address the full need in our community. We urgently request that members of Congress act to provide additional relief for those suffering in our city.” 

The funding package includes $7.5 million for the rental assistance program, bringing its total city funding to $30 million. Additional programming expansions include funding for:

  • Food access
  • Secondary and adult education
  • Support for arts organizations and live music venues
  • The homeless winter contingency program
  • Continued non-congregate emergency shelter operation

New programs include PPE for local teachers, a mental health public awareness campaign and resident-focused public health outreach with the Immigrant Welcome Center. 

It also includes a foreclosure prevention and mortgage refinancing program to assist Indianapolis homeowners struggling to meet their obligations.

To date, the City of Indianapolis has appropriated over $92 million in CARES Act funding, including $20 million for contact tracing and expanded community testing, nearly $25 million for rental assistance, millions more for small business and nonprofit loans and grants, hundreds of thousands of free cloth face coverings for Indianapolis residents, food delivery and distribution programs and resources for those experiencing homelessness.

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