Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday announced that she has awarded almost $2.9 million to help five north Alabama counties recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Ivey announced the awards to Cullman, Dekalb, Madison, Marshall and Walker counties are part of more than $40 million allocated to Alabama under a special Community Development Block Grant program funded from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
“Alabamians are eager to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind them and get on with their lives,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to award these funds which will accelerate that recovery process and help us return to normal.”
- Cullman County was awarded $803,861 in order to rehabilitate or construct a multi-use emergency response building that will be centrally located in the county.
- DeKalb County was awarded $500,000. The northeast Alabama County will use the funds to construct two climate-controlled buildings which can be used when necessary for health services.
- Madison County was awarded $700,000 to purchase a mobile health unit and expand front-line services including food distribution and vaccine accessibility.
- Marshall County was awarded $600,000 to expand health-care services. This award includes transportation and increase food distribution to low and moderate-income families and individuals.
- Walker County was awarded $288,200 in order to purchase medical equipment.
The funds were made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and can be used to support COVID-19 testing and vaccinations; rental, mortgage and utility assistance; assistance to food banks and pantries; job creation and business assistance and related projects to provide pandemic relief.
Alabama counties and entitlement communities receiving the CDBG-COVID funds were required to make an application with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
“ADECA is pleased to be a part of the process that is helping Alabama recover from the COVID-19 ordeal,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “Our Alabama cities and counties displayed tremendous teamwork in deciding what eligible projects best benefitted their communities.”
ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.
Ivey has already announced a number of COVID-19 relief awards to other counties.
Ivey will announce additional grants to other Alabama cities and counties as applications are processed. The grant funds are required to be expended on projects relating to the recovery from or preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus or any future infectious diseases.
