MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey has awarded a total of $770,000 to help three counties and one city in their efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City of Bessemer was awarded $70,000. Hale County and Sumter County each received $200,000, and Marion County received $300,000. The awards 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 (CARES) Act.

Governor 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.

“Every Alabama worker, especially the frontline workers, are to be commended for their courage and endurance during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Governor Ivey said. “These funds will continue to assist those who were negatively affected and are trying to come back from such a difficult time.”

The city of Bessemer will use funds to assist local small businesses with grants and to provide health and safety equipment for public facilities.

Hale County plans to purchase an emergency response vehicle to better equip first responders when treating those with life-threatening illnesses such as COVID-19.

Sumter County will rehabilitate the roof of the Sumter County Health Services Building, which is the headquarters of the Sumter County Emergency Management Agency and other health services providers who are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Marion County will purchase and staff a mobile health clinic to ensure that all county residents have access to COVID-19 testing and treatment.

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.

“These funds are helping local leaders and health care providers because they are in the best position to determine what their areas need most,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA joins Governor Ivey in assisting these communities as they work to help Alabama continue recovering from this global pandemic.”

ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.

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