The city will hold an in-person event Saturday to assist residents with the $500 direct cash assistance application process.
“This event is to ensure that vulnerable populations, like seniors, people with disabilities and those without the internet, can gain access to and complete their application.” —St. Louis Treasurer Adam Layne
The event will be held at the St. Louis Community College Forest Park Student Center located at 5600 Oakland Ave from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be about 720 appointments lasting about 30 minutes each to help people without access to the internet, seniors and people with disabilities.
Saturday is also the first day the city will be accepting applications submitted online.
The City of St. Louis Department of Human Services, in partnership with the St. Louis Treasurer’s Office and the United Way of Greater St. Louis, is providing 9,300 payments of $500 to families hardest hit by the pandemic with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
“The assistance from this program will help many families and city residents, and we want to ensure that we remove as many barriers as possible so everyone who qualifies has the opportunity to apply for this direct financial help,” St. Louis Treasurer Adam Layne said in a statement. “This event is to ensure that vulnerable populations, like seniors, people with disabilities, and those without the internet, can gain access to and complete their application. We urge all other eligible city residents with internet access to complete their application online following the opening on Dec. 18.”
The city outlined several eligibility criteria, including an income limit for residents at or under 80% of the area median income (AMI). According to the city’s website, AMI limits depend on the size of the household. For one person, 80% AMI would be $47,550 or less and for a house of five people, it’s equal to or less than $73,350.
Applicants must also prove they have been city residents for 12 months and have lost income due to the pandemic, such as cut work hours, job loss, and funeral expenses. Only one individual per household will be eligible for a payment, even if the adults in the household are unrelated.
In mid-August, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones enacted a spending plan outlining plans for the first installment of $249 million out of the $498 million in federal money the city will receive in the next two years through the American Rescue Plan Act. These payments were included in that plan.
Appointments for Saturday can be made now through noon Friday by calling 1-866-948-3742. The city noted walk-ins are not encouraged.
Online applications can be accessed beginning Saturday at www.stlouis-mo.gov/emergency-assistance/.
