The City of Eugene has received state and federal funding through several different mechanisms. In addition to these funds, Lane County has also received federal and state funding that is being allocated separately, some of which has been allocated to Eugene residents.
To-date the City of Eugene received about $7.9 million in Federal CARES funding passed through from the State of Oregon. This doesn’t include separate coronavirus relief funding received from other sources like the Federal Aviation Administration to the Eugene Airport or Community Development Block Grant-COVID (CDBG-CV) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The City originally received $2.83 million which covered COVID-19 response through May 2020. We then received an additional $5.03 million based on our population. This CARES funding must be spent by December 30, 2020.
CARES Funds to Reimburse City Operations
The largest portion of funding was allocated to reimburse the City’s dedicated response to COVID-19 – just under $3.5 million which includes operation of the Emergency Operations Center. The City's response played a key role in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in Eugene, protecting our community and economy as well as supporting collaboration with partner agencies. The next largest expense categories have been medical and protective supplies (PPE) and care for our unhoused community members at about $365,000 and $302,000 respectively. Other funding has been spent on disinfecting public areas and facilities, public safety measures, quarantining employees, telework capabilities, small business interruption grants and other initiatives.
CARES Funds for New Programs and Partnerships
The City also dedicated CARES funding towards our Eugene Community Recovery by funding new programs and partnerships to respond to increased and new needs in the community. A set of focal areas were developed to help prioritize the CARES funds going towards Recovery work.
- $250,000 to EWEB to provide utility assistance for low-income residents as well as essential service nonprofits and childcare providers.
- $350,000 to United Way to support three initiatives prioritizing vulnerable and marginalized communities: food boxes to families in need, providing childcare, and increasing access to basic needs like food, shelter, health services for unhoused/unaccompanied youth, winter shelter services (through the end of December)and services for immigrant populations.
- $100,000 to support the Small Business Emergency Loan fund in partnership with Community Lending Works, City of Springfield and Lane County.
- $15,000 to a COVID-19 Community Impact Survey to gauge better understanding of community needs.
- Outside of the CARES funds the City received, the Eugene City Council took action in July to direct $500,000 of Affordable Housing Trust Fund dollars to immediate direct assistance for renters and homeowners.
Additionally, and outside the money mentioned above, the City was awarded $839,940 in CDBG-CV funds, those funds have been used increase housing stability, nonprofit capacity, and equity in business. Another $1.02 million was awarded recently and will go through an allocation process involving the CDBG Advisory Committee and then be brought to City Council for action sometime in Winter 2021.
- $420,000 was dedicated to increasing local social service capacity through a partnership with Lane County.
- $100,000 to fund operating costs for staffing homeless navigation services in partnership with Lane County and a selected a service provider.
- $200,000 in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul for Day Access Service Center and Dusk to Dawn programming.
- $10,000 for outreach, coordination, and additional fair housing trainings specific to coronavirus impacts for service providers, community members, and members of protected classes that have experienced disproportionate impacts related to COVID-19, in partnership with the Fair Housing Council of Oregon.
- $30,000 to administer a tenant hotline, to help answer questions from rental tenants regarding their rights and responsibilities, in partnership with Springfield Eugene Tenant Association (SETA).
- $30,000 to support microenterprise training (start-ups, business operating on a very small scale or sole proprietor operations) for marginalized communities who have been impacted by COVID-19, in partnership with Huerto de la Familia.