HOWARD COUNTY — County Executive Calvin Ball signed emergency legislation providing $6.5 million in pandemic aid to support residents and businesses.
Tuesday night, the Howard County Council unanimously voted to pass the bill, which was introduced by the County Executive in December 2020.
The aid includes:
- $2 million for the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) to issue additional grants;
- $1 million for Howard County General Hospital (HCGH) to continue creating infrastructure for additional patient capacity;
- $1 million in housing assistance to prevent evictions and foreclosures;
- $1 million for food and utility bill assistance;
- $1.5 million for extension of vital educational support and childcare programs like HoCo Scholars and RecZone.
“This funding is vital to our community as local and state governments continue to be omitted from federal relief,” said Ball.” At this moment, it is necessary for Howard County to once again step up and ensure the well-being of our residents and businesses. We all know there are brighter days on the horizon, but this pandemic is far from over. Thank you to the Howard County Council for supporting this effort. What is most clear, is that many people cannot wait for relief and action is needed now.”
