City Distributes $1.3 Million to Assist Individuals and Families Adversely Affected by COVID-19

WILMINGTON (DE): The funding is helping hundreds of people with housing needs, rent and utility payments, food purchases, COVID testing, and domestic violence counseling, according to a news release.

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said today that the City has distributed more than $1.3 million in recent weeks to assist residents who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Mayor said he has asked City Council to approve the City receiving an additional $1.1 million in federal funds for distribution in October and November.

The City has received the funding from the Federal government as part of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.

“This virus has disrupted our lives and forced us to alter our daily routines,” said Mayor Purzycki. “More importantly, it has made it more difficult for residents to pay bills, buy food, and keep their families healthy. While Wilmington does not control the distribution of the multiple millions of federal dollars that have been allocated to the State and New Castle County for COVID assistance, we have made sure that the money we do receive is put to good use to help as many individuals and families as possible.”

The Mayor said the City’s Real Estate and Housing Department has worked very closely with local organizations to identify immediate and varied community needs and to get the funding to the people who have the most pressing financial obligations or need assistance in other ways.