Ohio families and communities are hurting with no end in sight. Many short-term protections like eviction and utility disconnection moratoriums have ended. Resources to support Ohioans who have been laid off or had their income reduced have been made available to help. But the one-time stimulus payments have been spent on food, rent, and other necessities. The extra pandemic unemployment benefit is set to expire.
While Ohioans continue to struggle to make ends meet, pay rent, and put food on the table, Ohio has approximately $1.3 billion in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds waiting to be spent. This money needs to be designated to help Ohioans who are struggling as a result of COVID-19.
AOF, along with 17 of our partner organizations, sent a letter to Governor DeWine and his health and human service agency directors telling them how a small portion of the remaining federal relief funds could be spent now to help struggling families meet their basic needs.
Emergency rental assistance. Since most courts re-opened in the last month, Ohioans are being evicted. People are losing their homes and going to unsafe living conditions while the virus is spiking in nearly every Ohio county. Some local jurisdictions have allocated money for rental assistance, but it is not enough. A statewide investment is needed. We ask that you allocate $100 million for emergency rental assistance.
Utility assistance. The Ohio EPA lifted its ban on water disconnections on July 10, 2020. Electric and gas utilities will resume disconnections as early as the end of this month. While some programs exist to help with utility bills, it is not enough to address the need. To stay safe and healthy, Ohioans need water and other utilities. We ask that you allocate at least $38 million in utility assistance to double the amount of federal CARES Act dollars invested in utility assistance.
Food and basic needs assistance. Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey show that about 1 in 5 adults living with children in Ohio said they couldn’t afford to give their kids enough to eat. At the same time, food prices are up nearly 6 percent, meaning funds to purchase food are even more limited. Applications for SNAP are up 21 percent in Ohio from February to May 2020, yet foodbanks are still experiencing record demand for help. We ask that you allocate $45 million to allow foodbanks to purchase additional emergency food and household groceries, fill gaps left by missed school meals, and secure personal care, personal hygiene, and household cleaning products. In addition, we will utilize these funds to lease trucks, offsite cold storage, hire temporary staff to handle increased inventory, and purchase PPE supplies for our 3,600 member charities.
National Guard. We thank you for deploying the national guard to assist with food distribution, congregate care and community testing. The support from the national guard needs to continue. We ask that you allocate $10 million to ensure communities can continue to count on the support of the National Guard.
Child care. Before the pandemic hit, Ohio was experiencing a shortage in our child care supply. The crisis has further exacerbated this shortage due to decreased revenue and increased expenses to ensure programs are following all health and safety guidelines. A recent national survey of providers along with data on childcare deserts have estimated 45 percent of Ohio’s child care supply could be lost without significant increases in funding. The $60 million of child care dollars to support providers will be spent by the end of August. With many schools starting with complete or partial distance learning plans, the childcare crisis will be exacerbated. While we need a more comprehensive child care solution for providers and a parents, we ask that you commit an additional $60 million to assist child care providers into the Fall.
Additional assistance from the federal government is needed, but the timeline and content of such legislation is uncertain, and emergency needs are immediately pressing. The commitment of these Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars to help struggling Ohioans will provide desperately needed support and show that Ohio’s priority is caring for the most vulnerable during this crisis.