Aguilar announces over $13 million for Inland Empire Coronavirus response

On April 2, Congressman Pete Aguilar announced that five Inland Empire cities and the County of San Bernardino received a total of $13,133,589 in federal grant funding to begin responding to the financial crisis created by the spread of coronavirus.

The new funding comes in the form of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program funds, which allow city and county governments to invest in programs to support economic growth, spur job creation, address homelessness and provide affordable housing.

These funds were made available by the CARES Act, the third federal coronavirus response bill, which Congressman Aguilar helped pass on March 27, 2020.

The breakdown of funding is as follows:

• County of San Bernardino: $6,560,515
• City of San Bernardino: $3,023,526
• City of Fontana: $1,854,673
• City of Rialto: $714,324
• City of Rancho Cucamonga: $604,816
• City of Upland: $375,735

“These funds empower our communities to mitigate the economic damage COVID-19 is causing. From support for affordable housing programs to direct investment in economic recovery, the CARES Act provides Inland Empire residents with the resources they need to make it through this crisis. I was proud to support this legislation, and I’ll continue fighting for more federal resources for our community,” said Aguilar.

“Investing in our economy now during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential to our recovery. The Community Development Block Grant and Emergency Shelter Grant are vital streams of investment to support our local economic growth, community revitalization and affordable housing,” said San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman.

“In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic we must continue to provide essential services, and this includes investing in affordable housing for our vulnerable population. I appreciate Congressman Aguilar’s leadership on this critical issue,” said San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe.

“We expect that the loss of revenue related to the COVID 19 pandemic will have a severe impact on the financial health and wellbeing of the City of San Bernardino and its residents. We are grateful that Federal Stimulus Funding has been made available to help soften the impact and provide needed resources to the community we serve during this time and into the near future,” said San Bernardino City Manager Teri Ledoux.

“We are experiencing unprecedented times, with a period of uncertainty to follow, the Coronavirus Aid Package that Congress approved will provide our community with a crucial lifeline to keep the economy moving. We are grateful for the leadership of the federal administration and their willingness to act quickly to ease the hardships,” said Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren.

“This is fantastic, and much needed for our first responders. Its critical to meet the needs of our community,” commented Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson.