Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), member of the bipartisan Coronavirus Task Force and bipartisan White House Opening Up America Again Congressional Group, announced an additional $7,349,083 in federal coronavirus funding has been awarded to Suffolk County and the Town of Brookhaven to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act provided Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) supplemental funding, administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. This funding can be used for 25 eligible CDBG activities to shape local programs to meet needs, including:
- A wide range of public services to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, such as providing food and health services for low-income elderly persons and children;
- Small business assistance or emergency housing payments for entities and families impacted by economic and housing market disruptions; or
- Acquisition and rehabilitation of structures for health facilities, food banks, or public improvements needed to support community coronavirus response, preparation, or prevention. For example, grants may assist improvements to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in a local grocery store to protect employees and shoppers, or alterations to neighborhood business district sidewalks and facades to enable curbside pick-up or social distancing.
This week, HUD announced additional CDBG supplemental funding bringing:
- Suffolk County’s total to $2,754,768; and
- Brookhaven Town’s total to $4,594,315.
“As one of the first communities hardest hit by coronavirus, Long Islanders immediately came together at every level of government to fight this outbreak and work to get us back to our way of life,” said Congressman Zeldin. “This additional federal funding is vital to continuing the incredible progress Long Island has made and helps ensure we have the resources to keep future outbreaks at bay.”
Additionally through the CARES Act, the Suffolk County government received over $257 million in federal coronavirus response funding and an additional $26.7 million for its public transportation system.
This is in addition to the 1.2 million pieces of PPE Congressman Zeldin secured for Suffolk County’s front line workers at the height of the outbreak, funding for local hard hit hospitals, and expanded access for Suffolk County to the Municipal Liquidity Facility to help provide tax relief to Long Islanders, as well as other important aspects of the response.
