Congressman Cleaver Prompts Kansas City: Use Emergency Rental Aid!!!

As the homeless crisis worsens, here's an important note from the top ranking elected official in the metro . . . Here's the word with a highlight of the request . . .

Congressman Cleaver Urges the City of Kansas City to Quickly Disburse Emergency Rental Assistance Funds

(Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) joined the Kansas City Council’s Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee and testified in support of a proposed plan to bolster access to, and disbursement of, necessary emergency rental assistance (ERA) funds to Kansas Citians seeking assistance.

“While I am pleased that President Biden extended the eviction moratorium – preventing countless individuals and families from losing their homes – we must continue to work hard to ensure the remaining $17 million in emergency rental assistance is accessible to those who seek it,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Keeping people in their homes remains a shared responsibility of all levels of government, which is why I am proud to join Councilwoman Kathryn Shields and Councilwoman Melissa Robinson in urging the City to increase public access to emergency rental assistance funds and mitigate the bureaucratic barriers preventing this substantial federal funding from expeditiously reaching the hands of those in need.”

The proposed plan supported by Congressman Cleaver would:

* Create a call center to follow up with approximately 7,000 applicants that applied for the first round of ERA I - $14 million in total, disbursing the remaining $6 million from the first round of funding.

* Create a physical processing or intake center focused on disbursing the second round of ERA II funding - $11 million in total, focusing on completing the processing of any remaining applicants from the first round of funding and then re-opening the portal to allow new applicants to apply, creating a one-stop-shop for applicants to receive assistance.

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