Minneapolis will provide financial relief to residents “irrespective of immigration or documentation status,” the city announced Friday.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that the city has set aside more than $5 million for housing assistance and small business loan programs.
Frey said his intention with the funding is to serve households that won’t benefit from state or federal COVID-19 assistance.
“At the local level, we’re taking steps to make sure that our new programs complement, not duplicate, the work made possible by the new state and federal funding,” states a website for the gap funding programs.
A total of $3 million will be used for rental housing programs, including an Emergency Housing Assistance Program and a Stable Homes Stable Schools Housing Stability Fund. Under both programs, “households are eligible irrespective of immigration or documentation status,” the city says on its website.
Payments will help cover the cost of rent and will be made directly to rental property owners or utility companies.
Another $2.2 million will be used to help small businesses and people who are self-employed. The city notes that “immigration status does not impact eligibility” for its new Forgivable No-Interest Loans for Small Businesses program.
“Today we unveiled our Gap Funding Package to complement what is being done at the state and federal levels by providing housing relief to low-income residents and support for small businesses impacted by COVID-19,” Mayor Frey said on Twitter.
“The actions that have been taken to protect public health have been absolutely necessary. But we can’t forget those whose hardships have been compounded by these measures, however necessary,” he added.
The actions that have been taken to protect public health have been absolutely necessary. But we can't forget those whose hardships have been compounded by these measures, however necessary.
— Jacob Frey (@Jacob_Frey) April 3, 2020
Democrats in the U.S. House introduced a bill Friday to extend relief checks to illegal aliens under the $2 trillion CARES Act.
A press release from Rep. Lou Correa’s (D-CA-46) office said that “every individual taxpayer irrespective of citizenship status should receive government assistance.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) co-sponsored the legislation and said on Twitter Friday that she was proud of Minneapolis “for going above and beyond and not discriminating against our neighbors based on their immigration status.”
Proud of our city for going above and beyond and not discriminating against our neighbors based on their immigration status! https://t.co/727a7AvKVd
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) April 3, 2020
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jacob Frey” by August Schwerdfeger. CC BY 4.0. Background Photo “Minneapolis City Hall” by Tony Webster. CC BY 2.0.
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