HOUSTON — The city of Houston on Wednesday unanimously approved a program for one-time $1,200 payments for Houstonians who are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That payment, which will be from funds from the CARES Act, will be for up to 23,750 Houstonians who have been badly affected by the virus.
The direct assistance program is budgeted at $30 million and will be administered by Baker Ripley.
To receive the funds, there are eligibility requirements and the system is not first come, first served.
The recipient must be a citizen of Houston who has not received a similar type of payment from a Harris County program. The recipient must also show that their hardship is directly related to COVID-19.
The recipient also must have an income of 80 percent or less of the area median income.
Mayor Sylvester Turner said Baker Ripley has been asked to start setting up the process, which he hopes the council can approve Wednesday.
As soon as we learn details of how to apply, we will post them here.
Councilmember also voted to add another $10 million in CARES Act money to the city’s Small Business Economic Relief Program to help small businesses that have been affected by COVID-19.