American Rescue Plan: COVID-19 Relief and Resources

 

American Rescue Plan graphic

Congressman Cleaver is committed to helping Missourians in the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri recover from COVID-19, which is why he supported the American Rescue Plan Act to get:

  • Shots in arms
  • Money in pockets
  • Kids in schools
  • People in jobs

You can find critical resources from the American Rescue Plan and information on how to access them below.

Quick Resources:

Missouri COVID-19 Vaccine Navigator

Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services

Business Relief From the Small Business Administration

COVID-19 Prevention Information from the CDC

Missouri COVID-19 Testing Sites

IRS Get My Payment Tool

Vaccine Resources:

The American Rescue Plan provides over $20 billion to establish a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination program to crush the coronavirus, and to improve the administration and distribution of vaccines. This funding will go toward:

  • Research, development, manufacturing, purchasing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments to ensure we have the hundreds of millions of vaccines needed for all Americans; and
  • Community vaccination sites across the country, mobile vaccination units to go to underserved communities, and more to vaccinate all Americans; and
  • Undertaking a vaccine awareness and engagement campaign to better communicate with the American people about when, where, and how to receive their COVID-19 vaccine.

To receive your vaccine in Missouri, you should:

  1. Register to receive your vaccine with the Missouri COVID-19 Navigator here.
  2. Find a provider near you here.
  3. Schedule an appointment directly with your provider.
  4. Visit the Missouri Health Department's FAQ page for more information about the state's vaccine distribution here.

Survival Checks

The American Rescue Plan will deliver $1,400 survival checks, otherwise known as Economic Impact Payments, to families who are struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic.

  • Eligible recipients include: Single filers with incomes up to $75,000, head of household filers with incomes up to $112,500, and joint filers with incomes up to $150,000 will receive the full payment of $1,400.
  • Ineligible recipients include: Single filers making $80,000, head of household filers making $120,000, and joint filers making $160,000
  • You can check on the status of your direct payment with the IRS Get My Payment Tool here.
  • You can find more information on Economic Impact Payments here.

Unemployment Resources

The American Rescue Plan extends unemployment benefits of $300 per week for individuals laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic until September 6, 2021.

You can find more information and apply for unemployment assistance at the official Missouri State website here.

Housing Assistance Resources

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Americans are spending more time at home than ever. The American Rescue Plan invests over $40 billion toward rental, homeowner, and homelessness assistance to keep a roof over the heads of American families. Specifically, the relief package:

  • Provides $27.5 billion for Emergency Rental Assistance, including $22.5 billion for emergency rental and utility assistance, $5 billion for emergency housing vouchers, and $100 million for rural housing—which Congressman Cleaver was able to help get into the bill.
  • Directs $10 billion to the Homeowner Assistance Fund to address the ongoing needs of homeowners struggling to afford their housing due to the impacts of the pandemic.
  • You can find more information on Emergency Rental Assistance Programs and how to access them from the Department of Treasury here, the State of Missouri here, and the city of Kansas City here.

Should you have more questions or need more information about American Rescue Plan housing provisions, you can always reach out to the Kansas City Housing Authority office at 816-968-4100 or visit the Housing Authority's website here.

My office is always ready to assist should you need help with federal housing vouchers. I know this can be a confusing and private process, but we're here to help you weather the storm. Please don't hesitate to reach out to my office at 816-842-4545 or contact me through my website here.

Nutrition Assistance Resources

The American Rescue Plan provides substantial nutrition assistance to the American people by extending SNAP maximum benefits by 15% through September 30, 2021, investing $5 billion in the Pandemic-EBT program so that low-income families have access to schools meals and food assistance during the school year and summer, providing an addition $1.1 billion to help states meet historic demand for nutrition assistance, and allocating an additional $800 for WIC—supporting low-income women and infants.

You can access and find more information on Missouri's nutrition assistance programs here.

Health Care Resources

During the worst public health crisis in a century, it's critical for Americans to have quality, affordable health care. The American Rescue Plan ensures that every American has access to health care coverage throughout the pandemic by:

  • Guaranteeing no one will have to pay more than 8.5 percent of their income for a silver plan in the ACA marketplaces;
  • Ensuring individuals below 150 percent of the poverty level will pay no premiums;
  • Establishing that individuals who receive unemployment at any point in 2021 have access to an ACA silver plan with no premium;
  • You can get covered and find more information on ACA special coverage during the pandemic here.

Emergency Family and Medical Leave Resources

The American Rescue Plan extended the Families First Coronavirus Response Act through September 2021, which includes the extension of credits for paid sick and family leave.

Under current federal law, employees may receive full or partial paid sick and/or family leave if:

  • An employee is quarantining on the advice of a health care provider or is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis;
  • An employee is caring for someone who is quarantining based on local guidelines or the advice of a health care provider; or
  • An employee is caring for a child whose school or childcare provider is closed due to the pandemic.

Childcare Resources

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan's expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC), economists predict that benefits from the relief package will cut child poverty in nearly half in 2021. The law makes the CTC fully refundable for 2021 and increases the annual amount from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child and $3,600 for children under the age of 6.

You can learn more about the expanded CTC and other tax benefits from the American Rescue Plan here.

Resources For Missouri Small Businesses

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

The American Rescue Plan provides an additional $7.25 billion for the PPP lending program and allows for more nonprofits to apply.

PPP loan applications will be accepted through March 31, 2021. You can find more information and apply for these business-saving loans here.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)

As business continue to struggle from the economic impact of COVID-19, the American Rescue Plan will provide up to $10,000 loans for the smallest businesses in underserved communities that have been hardest hit.

You can apply and find more information on the EIDL lending program here.

Shuttered Venue Loans

The Fifth Congressional District of Missouri is known for its live entertainment venues, and the American Rescue Plan will help to assist them by providing funding specifically set aside for shuttered venues.

Venue operators can use a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant for payroll costs, rent payments, utility payments, worker protection expenditures, and more. To apply, applicants must have been in operation as of February 29, 2020.

You can find more information on which venues qualify and apply for a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant here.

Restaurant Revitalization Fund

It's no secret that restaurants have been crushed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Rescue Plan sets aside $28.6 billion to revive this devastated industry. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund will provide restaurants and other eligible businesses with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business. The relief does not have to be repaid, provided that the funds are put toward eligible uses by March 11, 2023. The application portal for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund can be accessed here.

The Small Business Administration recommends applicants familiarize themselves with the application process in advance by reviewing the official guidance, including program guide and an application sample.

You can find more information on the Restaurant Revitalization Fund here.

Issues:Economy and JobsHealthHousing