Jonesboro to receive more than $360k in coronavirus assistance

By Region 8 Newsdesk
Published by KAIT8

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – The city of Jonesboro will receive $362,524 in federal funds to aid its response to COVID-19.

U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, along with First District Representative Rick Crawford, announced Thursday the state of Arkansas will receive $23.6 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The lion’s share of that amount will go to Little Rock. The capital city will receive $879,049. It will also receive an additional $81,216 from the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program.

According to a news release, the cities can use the money to “make improvements to public facilities that are necessary to the COVID-19 response, support businesses to increase economic development, and provide increase public services during the outbreak.”

A majority of the funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant program.

Arkansas communities receiving the CBDG grants are:

• Conway – $269,734
• Fayetteville – $436,285
• Fort Smith – $530,840
• Hot Springs – $254,743
• Jacksonville – $123,984
• Jonesboro – $362,524
• Little Rock – $879,049, along with an additional $81,216 from the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program.
• North Little Rock – $406,388
• Pine Bluff – $411,412
• Rogers – $270,024
• Springdale – $478,318
• Texarkana – $165,006
• West Memphis – $186,531