Cobb County Board of Commissioners has authorized the reallocation of funding within the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to be distributed to local organizations, non-profits and residents adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The reallocation will help more renters facing eviction due to effects of the pandemic.

The federal government sent Cobb County $132 million as part of the act to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the local economy. The largest allocation of $50 million went to SelectCobb to help small businesses that were suffering because of the pandemic.

Some recipients of the CARES money felt that they would not expend all that was allocated to them by the end of the year. These adjustments will return $3.872 million to the CARES contingency fund and allocate an additional $4.48 million from the contingency fund, leaving a balance of $1.1 million in the CARES contingency.

Some of this money will award funding for additional expenditures to Cobb & Douglas Public Health. Supplemental funds will also be allocated through HomeFree-USA and Star-C to provide rent relief for Cobb County tenants adversely impacted by COVID-19.

Star-C will allocate additional funds for low-income families living in qualified apartment communities in Cobb County. At the current application rate, it is anticipated that the original grant will be fully expended by early November. Star-C Corporation anticipates that applications will increase slightly through the end of December. With the funding remaining from the original grant and an increase of $850,000, Star-C Corporation anticipates being able to assist approximately an additional 520 families with rental assistance.

Additional funds will be distributed through SelectCobb, the county’s not-for-profit grant program established for locally owned and operated not-for-profit businesses adversely affected by COVID-19, to improve unemployment numbers by providing cash grants subject to certain conditions.

The Board will also consider allocating more CARES funding to groups helping meet a growing need for food across the county.  That action should happen at the board’s first November meeting.

“It’s important that we continue to provide support to our partners with these important programs to help us through this pandemic,” said Chairman Mike Boyce.