LANSING (WWJ) -- Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed a bipartisan bill that helps Michiganders stay in their homes and put food on the table.
The bill, signed on Wednesday, invests $2.2 billion in federal COVID relief funding.
The funds will be split across several areas, with $1.5 billion going toward food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and $378.3 million going to housing assistance through the Emergency Rental Assistance program.
An additional $322 million will be distributed to local governments to continue providing essential services, such as providing assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits; aiding industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality; providing premium pay for essential workers and more.
Disaster relief dollars will also be sent to counties, cities, and hospitals for their COVID vaccination efforts, as well as communities impacted by the historic flooding last year in Midland.
“The bipartisan bill that I signed today is the result of good-faith efforts by members of the legislature and it is a testament to what we can do together: make a real difference in people’s lives right now," Governor Whitmer said in a press release. "With life getting back to normal, we are turning full attention to our state’s economic jumpstart by creating jobs with higher wages, giving small businesses the needed capital to ramp up hiring and boost investment, and making sure every family has access to affordable, quality childcare."
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Here's the full breakdown from the governor's office:
-Within the Department of Health and Human Services: $1.5 billion in federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding to support a 15% increase in monthly food assistance benefits through September 30, 2021, providing temporary assistance to families needing emergency food.
-Within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity: $378.3 million in federal funding for grant awards to be distributed and used to assist renter households at or below 80% of area median income, supporting the Emergency Rental Assistance Program which includes rental and utility assistance payments, housing stability services, and case management to eligible renter households impacted by COVID-19.
-Within the Department of State Police: $65.2 million in federal funding for payment to vendors for emergency and disaster response and mitigation services provided in areas throughout the state.
-Within the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget: $21.0 million in state funding for a one-time purchase of tax vouchers issued by the state to the Venture Michigan Fund (VMF) which is used to generate investment capital from lenders. This results in projected savings through the avoidance of interest that would accrue on vouchers.
-Within the Department of Treasury: $322.1 million in federal funding to distribute to local units of government to be used for the following: to provide assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits; to aid industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality; to provide premium pay for essential workers; to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year; and to make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband.