The gist: After a holiday hiatus, the work of consolidated government resumes with a pair of relatively light agendas. On tap: electing officers, budgeting CARES Act funding and getting answers on a surveillance camera contract awarded to a private firm without council approval.
The gist: Identified as a place at “higher risk” for evictions, Lafayette will receive a second and larger round of federal stimulus dollars intended for housing aid during the pandemic. At just under $1.4 million, the block grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development nearly doubles the last allocation Lafayette received, one […]
Moving slowly means the program could fall well short of its ambitions, while housing needs, another use of the source funding, continue to worsen.
Housing advocates say avoiding a wave of housing instability in Louisiana will cost at least 10 times what the state has cobbled together.
The Legislature staked out an independent course this session, calling itself into special session that produced policy wins for business interests
Of roughly 1,000 local businesses surveyed between March 19 and March 25, 91% expected revenue to decline.
The ambitious $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program passed by Congress one week ago to help small businesses weather the coronavirus crisis rolls out this morning amid confusion and mixed signals.
Updated federal guidelines for the program were not issued until late Thursday night in a 31-page “interim final rules” document, just hours before the PPP was supposed to begin accepting applications, and most banks are still not ready.
Source: Banks urge patience as PPP rollout gets off to a rocky start
One Acadiana today announced the launch of a new Economic Recovery Toolkit for businesses facing economic hardship due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Lacking adequate healthcare, those who are unsheltered are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Local shelters are already at capacity, and more people are becoming homeless each day. It’s a public health problem, according to advocates.
Everyone expected dollars would start flowing at the stroke of a pen, but the size and scope of the bill means there’s more to iron out, even as the federal government works to turn on the taps quickly.
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