Austin to receive $11 million to help vulnerable populations recover from COVID-19

AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin was awarded $10,859,249 from another federal grant that is aimed to help vulnerable populations prepare and recover from the COVID-19 outbreak.

The announcement comes from Texas Senator John Cornyn, who says he is grateful to the federal government for supplying the grant. "While Texans continue to persevere as COVID-19 wreaks havoc on our state, we must take steps to ensure that our vulnerable communities are equipped to weather the storm,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m grateful to the Trump Administration for continuing to make recovery in Austin a high priority."

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The funding was appropriated by Congress in March through the Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of the CARES Act.

"These ESG-CV funds are to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance," a press release from Cornyn's office said.

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The funds will also help support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention in order to mitigate the impacts of coronavirus. Cornyn's office says that the homeless population is one of the most at-risk groups for the transmission of coronavirus.

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