Funds will be dispersed by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce by December 15, 2020. A Mississippi mother has testified that her child's public school is harmed by the state putting $10 million of federal pandemic relief money into infrastructure grants for private schools. The Integrity Group also held an online information session, but the county lacked someone to help applicants navigate the process in-person until late May, and that assistance is only available in downtown Jackson. Emergency/disaster response: $40 million to Mississippi Emergency Management Agency for pandemic expenses. Applications will be accepted through Monday, November 16, 2020. School are allowed to fund renovation and repair projects to improve air quality in buildings, increase social distancing among students, and install doors and plumbing fixtures that require minimal touching to use. For additional support, contact USDA's Hunger Hotline. Tate Reeves, a Republican, said early this month that next Monday would be the last day to apply for assistance. Mississippi is slated to receive $1.8 billion to be spent by the Legislature. a proud member of the "They don't care. The mission of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is to regulate and promote agricultural-related businesses within the state and to promote Mississippis products throughout both the state and the rest of the world for the benefit of all Mississippi citizens. Visit the FEMA COVID-19 funeral assistance page to: Learn if you are eligible for the program She said they would have to bring computers and help people sign up for email accounts for the first time. These funds can also be used to make necessary investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure., Clearly this is something that is transformative to Mississippi, Lt. Gov. Once Mississippi finishes processing the remaining claims, they will be returning the leftover money to the U.S. Treasury, which maintains oversight of the spending. This grant program, as part of Mississippi's response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, provides grants to electric cooperatives and other broadband providers to expand high-speed internet access throughout the state. The site is secure. For perspective, the state K-12 budget is a little more than $2 billion a year. The ABC has already allowed package store permittees to offer curb side delivery until April 30, 2020. of pot during traffic stop, Police: 2 teens fight over gun at KFC in Mississippi, causing it to fire, Jackson homeowner shoots male intruder in the leg; female also detained, Vicksburg Police arrest man after finding dog with severe injuries at apartment complex, Request a First Alert Weather School Visit, Advertising Non-Discrimination Certification. There was a problem saving your notification. But that just means we have to work harder and play catchup.. I, Herb Frierson, Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Revenue, pursuant to the power granted to me under Miss. Call your insurance agent or company, or the NFIP Call Center at 1-800-427 . following organizations: Whoops! As restaurants are either limiting sit down meals or can no longer offer sit down meals as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ABC will also allow permitted restaurants to offer the doggie bag option for to-go orders untilRestaurants and Bars are allowed to open for normal business. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. We center readers in everything we do, informingand engagingMississippians through reporting, podcasts, events and online communities. Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) SBA Debt Relief. Mississippi is violating its own constitution by directing $10 million in pandemic relief money to private schools, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by a parents' group that supports. Even if the money is returned by states, he said it will continue to go toward housing. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. More than seven months after Congress and former president Donald Trump created the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, Mississippi had spent only 11 percent of $186.7 million in first-round. An official website of the United States government. Find out how to get emergency financial help from the government if you've been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or a natural disaster. READ MORE: CARES Act money was supposed to help Mississippi businesses. Similar rules apply for the funds going to the local governments. pic.twitter.com/XOCwV6lN5b, Workforce Development and Partnership Management, MDHS Receives $24 Million from CARES Act for Rent/Mortgage Assistance and LIHEAP. Jeremiah Smith, who leads 662 Tenants Union in a small Delta town, said he knew numerous renters who dropped out of the process because it took months to receive a response, and Mississippi Home Corporation was often difficult to contact. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. By law, all income (both earned and unearned) is included when determining SNAP eligibility and benefit amounts, unless explicitly excluded by statute. Nationwide, median listing prices for houses were up 16.6% in July from the previous year, and rent grew by 14.1% in June 2020 over June 2021, according to Realtor.com reports. K-12 education: $50 million for K-12 internet connectivity, Governor: $50 million for governors discretionary fund, Workforce: $55 million for workforce development, Local government: $70 million for cities and counties. Not all states have. Tate . MS Emergency Management Agency COVID-19 Fund 20. The initial relief funds both districts received in 2020 were used to purchase personal protective equipment such as masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, disinfectant fogging equipment and desk shields, things the districts needed to make in-person learning safe for students and teachers, school officials said. Offering Mississippians Young and Old Tangible Help Today to Create Lasting Hope for Tomorrow, SNAP EBT beneficiaries residing in areas affected by the severe storm can purchase ready-to-eat hot foods with th twitter.com/i/web/status/1, The P-EBT call center will close April 28. Review requests will continue to be processed even after the call center twitter.com/i/web/status/1, What am I able to buy with EBT benefits? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. MS Tourism Recovery Fund 14. The funding is part of a total $19.5 billion package to help state governments recover from expenses related to the pandemic Mississippi's largest cities will see an allocation of over $100. $1.8 billion to the state, to be spent by the Legislature. This amendment will allow customers to submit orders and pay liquor retailers by telephone or internet, and allow liquor retailers to provide on-premises curbside delivery. By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with Mississippi Today. $429 million for the states colleges and universities. The press release issued by the Department of Revenue on March 26, 2020 stated that penalty and interest would not be charged on prior or new liabilities during the period of the presidentially declared national emergency. The latest available data (pre-pandemic) indicate that nearly half (47%) of SNAP households receive Social Security benefits. A coalition of nonprofits that works to help people apply for the program said it is difficult to access, particularly in a state that struggles with high illiteracy rates and low broadband availability. This program, titled the Mississippi Agriculture Stabilization Act (MASA), provides assistance for Mississippi agriculture producers negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about our cartoon syndication services. The only method to file for a Mississippi extension is to file Form 80-106 Payment Voucher by marking the EXTENSION PAYMENT box and submitting the estimated amount of tax due. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many Mississippi businesses have been impacted due to closures. More than 1 percent of Mississippians believe they are very likely, or somewhat likely, to move because of an eviction in the next two months, according to a recent Census Household Pulse Survey. This collection of social media tiles can be used for Instagram and Twitter to assist our partners in communicating about the upcoming changes to SNAP benefits. The county school district also has spent millions in ESSER I and II funds to purchase iPads for all of students in kindergarten through 12th grades to help with distance learning. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. The government may assist you with funeral expenses for deaths caused by COVID-19. The municipality had the fifth highest eviction rate among the nations largest cities, according to an analysis from The Eviction Lab. Rivers Orman, a spokesman for the state agency dedicated to expanding access to moderate- and low-income housing, said in an email that they "have served over36,000households and have distributed over $200 million in funding to help those who were most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic" since June 2021. Judiciary: $2.5 million for courts and judiciary, Small business relief: $300 million for small business relief grants (only about half of this was used for the grants, with the remainder redirected to other programs or the unemployment fund), Health: $4 million to the Health Department to reimburse specialty hospitals for pandemic expenses. After learning of tenants who didnt have a way to print the needed paperwork, she dropped off rental assistance applications at their homes. Social Security is the most common source of income for SNAP households. Applications are subject to review and audits. We believe that an informed Mississippi is a better Mississippi. No, not at this time. If a taxpayer files for an extension of time to file the return, the return will be due on October 15, 2020. The Legislature will have no say in spending the funds going to local governments and education entities. We believe that an informed Mississippi is a better Mississippi. Landlords are finding loopholes. While business has picked up, it's still difficult to meet her rent of $935. The Department of Revenue will end the period of suspension and begin to accrue penalty and interest on new assessments and new outstanding liabilities beginning on August 20, 2020. The Social Security adjustment only impacts SNAP households that also receive Social Security benefits. Individuals who have never received services may submit a Pre Application through the Common Web Portal. Mississippi will receive a $3.3 million share of the Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act approved by Congress in early 2021. The federal government says American Rescue Plan money may only be spent on certain expenses. We prefer Author Name, Mississippi Today in the byline. Households that receive SNAP and Social Security benefits will see a decrease in their SNAP benefits as early as January 2023 because of a significant increase to their Social Security benefits to reflect the cost of living. Although both counties outsourced the administration of emergency rental assistance funds, Harrison County contracted with a local nonprofit, while Hinds selected an out-of-state company. FNS calculates cost-of-living adjustments for SNAP benefits each October. The ABC considers this rule to have become effective March 16, 2020. Geoff Pender serves as senior political reporter, working closely with Mississippi Today leadership on editorial strategy and investigations. Initially, the district received $3.1 million in ESSER I funds and has been allocated $13.6 million and $30.6 million, respectively, from ESSER II and ESSER III, according to the state Department of Education. JACKSON, Miss (AP) Mississippi will soon stop accepting applications to a federal rental assistance program created during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people stave off evictions, Gov. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Reeves still silent as Board of Education vacancies again stall key votes, discontinue participation in an American Rescue Plan program. IE 11 is not supported. Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2. "This program has essentially become: If for whatever reason you cant pay your rent or utility bill, taxpayers will pay them for you," Reeves said in a statement earlier this month. Tenant advocates said that the range of outcomes, varied by where people live, raises questions about whether the rental assistance effort has been equitable for the nations most vulnerable tenants, who are disproportionately people of color. JACKSON, Miss. This extension applies to Individual Income Tax returns, Corporate Income and Franchise Tax returns, and Fiduciary Income Tax returns. Founded in 2016 as the states first nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom, Mississippi Todays roots in Capitol coverage have grown to encompass a myriad of beats beyond politics and policy, including education, public health, justice, environment, equity, and, yes, sports. A list of these agencies is posted on the MDHS website at https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/community-services/. The website for the Department of Treasury instructs: The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide substantial flexibility for each government to meet local needsincluding support for households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers, and the communities hardest hit by the crisis. To help ease the financial burden during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing up to $9,000 reimbursement for funeral expenses related to COVID-19. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. He added that there were different reasons the county trailed Harrisons program, but he declined to go into specifics. Restaurants and bars located within the boundaries of an LRD may serve mixed drinks to their patrons and allow patrons to leave the licensed premises with an open container of alcohol (to-go cup). To learn more about our cartoon syndication services. A claim may be filed on-line at www.mdes.ms.gov twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week. Bobby has a bachelor's in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi and has received multiple awards from the Mississippi Press Association, including the Bill Minor Best Investigative/In-depth Reporting and Best Commentary Column. All Rights Reserved. ESSER III: A third major pandemic relief bill adopted in March 2021 provides nearly $122 billion to states, most of which is to be distributed to local education agencies. The Integrity Group did not respond to requests for comment. It was funded by two Covid-19 economic bills passed by Congress in 2020 and 2021, which provided billions of dollars of rental relief to states to administer to people economically disadvantaged by the pandemic. Thesereturnsshouldbefiled andpaidon thenormal duedate. The goal of MDHS is to serve as many non-traditional clients as possible, who are mainly the households that have been directly or directly impacted due to COVID-19, said Tina Ruffin, Director of the MDHS Division of Community Services. The county had helped 52 families as of mid-June, and Jones said he expected to cross $500,000 distributed soon. The Lauderdale County School District is set to receive more than $16 million from the three aid packages, including about $1.1 million initially with allocations of $4.6 million and $10.5 million, respectively, in ESSER II and ESSER III funds. by Geoff Pender, Mississippi Today June 9, 2021, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. Part of the gap between Harrison and Hinds counties might be explained by how each program approached outreach. We do not sell or share your information with anyone. The expiration date of an apportioned registration issued under the International Registration Plan which expires March 31, 2020 is suspended and the expiration date is extended to April 30, 2020. IE 11 is not supported. That leaves much of the money still up in the air. It was something we had been brainstorming how to do it, but absent a bond issue or absent some other funding source, we would not have been able to do this, Hardy said. Many struggling tenants in Mississippi worry over what will come first: a constable at their front door ordering them to leave, or the arrival of desperately needed rental assistance that will allow them to stay. Many Mississippi families who were already struggling to make ends meet before the pandemic have been adversely impacted as businesses have closed, laid off workers or reduced the number of their employees in response to economic shifts brought on by the pandemic. Recent legislation created the "Mississippi COVID 19 Relief Payment Fund" in order to assist Mississippi small businesses affected during this time. Producers can submit applications, requests for funding, and upload required support documents online through the Mississippi Agriculture CARES Act Management System (MS CAMS). There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Applications will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. We spent every single penny of it, said Ken Hardy, director of federal programs and accountability for the Lauderdale County School District. It is possible that some households may no longer receive SNAP benefits due to the Social Security increase if they are no longer income-eligible. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. We will review the need to extend such authorization and issue a notification if it is extended. JACKSON, Miss. MS COVID-19 Business Relief Payments Guidelines. Bobby Harrison, Mississippi Todays senior capitol reporter, covers politics, government and the Mississippi State Legislature. You have permission to edit this article. This provision covers the sale of a single, sealed bottle of wine that is sold WITH a to-go order. Jacob Leibenluft, the U.S. Treasury's chief recovery officer, said programs such as RAMP, which fall under the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program, have helped to keep evictions below historical averages. Please reload the page and try again. Emergency allotments allowed all SNAP households to receive an additional $95 in benefits or an additional benefit valued up to the maximum benefit for their household size, whichever value is greater. Mississippis statewide program to distribute federal funds has also gotten a slow start, spending less than 2 percent of the $186 million dedicated to helping tenants pay back rent, or past-due utility bills, as of June 24. SNAPs COLA takes effect at the start of each FNS fiscal year (October) and impacts maximum benefit allotments, income, resource eligibility standards, and annual deductions. ESSER funding is also being used to construct classroom modules at Northwest Middle and West Hills Elementary. "It's just unaffordable for a lot of people, and I don't think that was given proper consideration by the leadership of this state.". Meridian Public Schools is using nearly $4.6 million of its ESSER funds to upgrade the HVAC control system at Meridian High School and to completely replace the outdated HVAC system at Ross Collins Career and Technical Center. The National Low Income Housing Coalition said several other states, including Arizona and Wyoming, have spent less than 5 percent of their funds, and local news reports show that county-run programs have also struggled. An extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay the tax due. The county school district has also used the funds to hire about 20 new staff members at its campuses, including an instructional technologist to help teachers with digital learning, a computer technician to assist the schools, more school nurses, as well as interventionists and graduation coaches to work with students who may be behind academically due to the pandemic. The Office of Community Services within the Administration for Children and Families awarded the funding in two separate grants, one being a $9,200,678 grant for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which can be used to help pay home energy costs such as electric and gas bills. The county tapped Florida-based vendor The Integrity Group to administer payments. Franchise Tax returns to local governments may no longer receive SNAP benefits October! Modules at Northwest Middle and West Hills Elementary common source of Income for households... Of these agencies is posted on the MDHS website at https: //www.mdhs.ms.gov/community-services/ or! Assist you with funeral expenses for deaths caused by COVID-19 52 families as of mid-June, and said. And issue a notification if it is extended Reeves, a Republican, said early this month that next would..., first-served basis state K-12 budget is a little more than $ 2 billion a year analysis. 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