TAMPA, Fla. — Millions of dollars from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan will be used to help families in the Tampa Bay area.
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, Mayor Jane Castor, and Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers announced Monday that the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County will be receiving $366 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
Congresswoman Kathy Castor said the money will help families in a similar way that the CARES funding did with things like food distribution, small business aid, and rental and mortgage assistance.
She added that the funds will "make sure that our families do not fall through the cracks” and ensure that “we come out of this pandemic stronger than ever."
Of the $366 million, $80 million will be going to the City of Tampa, some of which Mayor Jane Castor said will be used in areas like infrastructure and education that "may not have received the attention they needed over the years."
"Now we will be able not only to shore up our bridges to provide transit options to get people to the jobs that they need to be able to afford their homes, but this funding will create those jobs as well," Mayor Castor said.
The Tampa mayor added that "every penny of this funding in the Tampa Bay area will be spent appropriately and in the best interest of our community."
“This is a bridge to get our neighbors through the public health emergency," Rep. Kathy Castor said. "Help is here. Take advantage of these emergency funds to help you pay your rent, help your small business get through…over the bridge into a stronger economic foundation."
The State of Florida will get $17.6 billion from the American Rescue Plan. Of that, $10 billion will stay in Tallahassee and be distributed according to decisions made by the state legislature. The remaining $7 billion will be split up between county and city governments around the state.
Watch the full announcement below.
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