Emergency Board to allocate $30 million in virus response funding

SALEM, Ore. – (KTVZ) -- Oregon's legislative Emergency Board will convene a virtual meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday to allocate more than $30 million in emergency funding to support Oregonians in need of relief due to the coronavirus global pandemic.

Funds will be dedicated to support workers and small businesses, as well as provide housing assistance to vulnerable Oregonians. Additionally, the Emergency Board will increase federal spending limits to access relief in the CARES Act.

Below is a more detailed breakdown of what the Emergency Board funding will include:

• $12 million – Safe Shelter and Rental Assistance
  • Rental assistance and safe shelter alternatives for individuals who have lost income due to COVID-19 and shelter for individuals at risk of infection or health problems due to inadequate shelter or housing.
• $10 million – Oregon Worker Relief Fund
  • Payments to workers ineligible for wage replacement payments from traditional unemployment insurance programs or unable to qualify for unemployment benefits due to immigration status.
• $10 million* – Small Business Assistance
  • Establishes an assistance program for small businesses with no more than 25 employees impacted by COVID-19 economic restrictions that have not received support from the federal CARES Act. *The $10 million small business assistance program will include $5 million from the Emergency Fund matched with $5 million from existing funds in the executive branch’s Business, Innovation and Trade Division.
• $2 million – Domestic Violence Housing Support
  • Emergency housing for victims of domestic and sexual violence.

Full details of the Emergency Board meeting are available here.

The Capitol Building is currently closed to the public. The meeting will be held online and streamed live, which can be accessed from the OLIS Emergency Board page at this link: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019I1/Committees/EB/Overview