Financial Relief Programs Help DeSoto Recover From COVID-19 Impact
As the COVID-19 Pandemic stretches on, the DeSoto City Council has implemented several financial relief programs aimed at assisting DeSoto residents and businesses through the ongoing crisis. All together, these relief and assistance programs are providing $2.8 million to support the DeSoto community.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most deadly and destructive forces to hit our nation and region. While the largest threat is to health and safety, the ongoing impact to individual finances and community economic health and stability remains a high concern. For several months, the DeSoto City Council responded on behalf of residents and businesses approving five programs totaling $2.8 million to help Desoto get back on its feet to economic recovery.
“When it became apparent in April of 2020 that the Coronavirus Pandemic would also cause extensive economic damage to our community, Mayor McCowan and the City Council, City Management, and local leaders put structures in place to provide support and relief to our residents, businesses, and our key stakeholders,” observed DeSoto Mayor Pro Tem Kenzie Moore. “The $2.8 million distributed to our community is providing the support envisioned by our late Mayor, and she was extremely proud to see forward progress at such a difficult time in DeSoto’s history.”
Photo Credit: City of DeSoto
The $2.8 million in Federal, City, and DeSoto Economic Development Corporation funds breaks down in the following manner:
$325,121 = Water and Sewer Bill Customer Relief funding
$156,508 = Small Business Grant Program funding
$1,546,790 = Residential Assistance Program funding
$697,800 = Business Assistance Program funding
$81,410 = Food Pantry Assistance Program funding
These programs are assisting DeSoto residents with housing, utilities, and daycare costs as well as assisting DeSoto businesses with rent, utilities, and maintaining low- to moderate-income workers.
DeSoto City Councilmember Kay Brown-Patrick, Chair of the DeSoto Economic Recovery Advisory Task Force’s Ad Hoc Committee guiding how DeSoto’s COVID-19 related grants and resources are directed, said that she is very pleased with the distribution of $2.8 million which has been distributed and credits the success to date to some very solid teamwork. Said Brown-Patrick, “This effort reflects an extremely high level of cooperation and dedication by DeSoto government, our private sector allies, and our civic partners, and we will continue to work together closely to help our residents, businesses, and others vital to DeSoto’s future to get back on their feet.”
DeSoto’s team effort included the late Mayor McCowan and the DeSoto City Council; Council Members Brown-Patrick, Marks, and Quarles as Ad Hoc Committee Members; and dozens of community leaders serving on the Economic Recovery Advisory Task Force. Each team member has helped focus funding availability to those in need.
