The CARES Act was designed to provide rent relief and other aid for complications caused by COVID-19. There have been many extended and unintended consequences that coronavirus has created beyond the spread of the virus and loss of jobs. However, these funds are precious; with leadership in Washington D.C. inactive on a second relief effort and the medical community indicating that a second wave of COVID-19 could be imminent, we need to use these funds to aid those who need it most.
The City of Houston’s revelation that they would be using these funds to expand police presence in crime “hot spots” and to purchase new garbage bins is a clear use of diverting these emergency funds to shore up budget line items instead of relief to families who could potentially be displaced from their homes without it.
Below is Texas Housers’ statement regarding the misuse of these funds on day-to-day operations.
City-of-Houstons-priorities-for-use-of-federal-COVID-19-funds-should-be-focused-on-Houstonians-who-need-help-not-to-supplement-citys-day-to-day-operations
i have called 311 to ask why the mayor sent out boxes of food and toilet paper exactly one time to homes of disabled and seniors back in the spring- now where does he think people get help since then? many like me who are counted on other’s income tax returns as dependents didn’t even receive a stimulus check and recently food stamp amounts were cut. i am truly disappointed in the city’s covid response which seems to be throw money at police and public works two weeks before an election.