County officials will unveil this week a proposal to bring economic and humanitarian relief to San Diegans affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The county received $334 million in funding as part of Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and Supervisors Nathan Fletcher and Dianne Jacob have penned a proposal on how to spend the funds in order to help San Diego.
Fletcher and Jacob hosted a virtual conference on Monday in which they will unveil their recommendations on how to use the CARES funds. In their proposal, they suggest the following:
- $175 million for the county's response;
- $100 million for T3, which stands for test, trace and treat;
- $5 million for childcare for essential workers;
- $20 million to cities for documented COVID-19 expenses (other than San Diego);
- $17 million for economic stimulus in the region;
- $15 million for behavioral health services;
- $2 million for child welfare services.
"The businesses are ready, I’ve seen the plans. All we need to do is make sure we get the go-ahead and get the flexibility at the local level to get the job done," Supervisor Jacob said on Monday. "In the meantime, a little money here and a little money there to provide some incentives sure isn’t going to hurt and hopefully it’ll help."
In their recommendation, the officials explained that as part of the behavioral health services portion of the package, several services like outreach and engagement, telehealth capabilities and electronic health record upgrades will be available to help those with those who struggle with mental health wellness and substance abuse.
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As for the $2 million in child welfare services, the funds would be used to include expanded outreach and extra support for at-risk families.
"It’s important to us to have a comprehensive plan for how the dollars will be spent in order to make sure these dollars are used in the most effective way," Jacob said.
The County Board of Supervisors will vote on the proposal on Tuesday.
