Funding is available to local governments to help households in their community recover from the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic under the State and Local Funds Fiscal Recovery Program (SLFRF). For households to qualify for the funding, they must be low- to moderate-income, defined as:  

1. Having an income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the size of the household (based upon the most recently published poverty guidelines), or 
2. Having an income below or at 65% of the area median income for the county and size of household (based on the most recently published data) 

Governments applying for SLFRF funding can choose whichever category they see fit based on inclusivity. Qualifying households are referred to as “impacted.” 

SLFRF funding can be used by local governments to support local “impacted” households through: 

• Food assistance and food banks 
• Emergency housing assistance 
• Benefits for surviving family members of someone who died from COVID-19 
• Programs, devices, and equipment for internet access and digital literacy 
• Cash assistance 
• Childcare and early learning services, home visiting programs, and services for child welfare 
• Assistance to address the impact of learning loss for K-12 students 
• And more! 

SLFRF guidelines account for the fact that some households were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and they are eligible for more aid. Households that qualify as “disproportionately impacted” include: 

• Low-income households and communities  
• Households in Qualified Census Tracts 
• Households receiving services from Tribal governments 
• Households residing in the US territories or receiving services from those governments 
• Households that qualify for federal benefits such as TANF, SNAP, NSLP, or WIC 
• And more! 

For the purpose of defining “disproportionately impacted” for SLFRF funding, a household must: 

1. Have an income level at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the size of its household (based upon the most recently published poverty guidelines), or 
2. Have an income at or below 40% of the area median income for the county and size of household (based on the most recently published data) 

Enumerated projects for disproportionately impacted households include: 

• Remediation of lead paint or other lead hazards 
• Primary care clinics, hospitals, integration of health services into other settings, and other investments into medical equipment and facilities designed to address health disparities 
• Housing vouchers and assistance relocating to neighborhoods with higher economic opportunity 
• Investments in neighborhoods to promote improved health outcomes 
• Schools and other educational equipment and facilities 
• Services to address educational disparities and promote evidence-based services for student academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs 
• Improvements to vacant and abandoned properties 

Local governments can apply for funds to help impacted and disproportionately impacted households in their communities, as described above. They can also apply for funding to help small businesses, nonprofits, and impacted industries in their communities.  

A list of allocations to county governments can be found here, and a list of allocations to metropolitan areas can be found here. For further information regarding SLFRF funding for your household or community, contact your state and local governments.