The City of St. Louis will allocate $19.2 million, mostly from Rams settlement funds, to pay for meals, rental assistance, home repairs and nonprofit support, among other needs, in response to the May tornado that shredded 8 miles of the city, Mayor Cara Spencer said.
“We know that the need is greater than this,” Spencer said at a press conference Thursday. “But it is a major start, and it's a good start.”
The funds will be used in the following areas, according to the mayor’s office:
- $2.5 million for resource hubs needs such as meals and supplies, including coolers, port-a-potties and dumpsters.
- $2.2 million for unmet needs such as storage of personal belongings, rental assistance and noncongregate temporary housing.
- $5 million for home repairs for uninsured and underinsured residents.
- $3.5 million for case management, mental health and legal services.
- $1 million to provide cooling through water stations and water sprinklers.
- Up to $5 million for nonprofit support, including for resource hub and distribution staffing.
The Board of Aldermen created a $30 million tornado relief fund last month, using the interest accrued from the Rams settlement: $18 million of Spencer’s request will come from that relief fund, and another $1.2 million will come from Community Development Block Grants.
The mayor’s plans for the $19.2 million now head to the St. Louis Board of Estimate and Apportionment, made up of Spencer, Comptroller Donna Barringer and Board of Aldermen President Megan Green, for final approval next week.
“We will be getting these programs up and running as soon, after we're able to get them approved by E&A, as humanly possible,” Spencer said.
While she didn’t provide a firm date, Spencer estimates residents will be able to apply for funds this summer.
It’s the goal of City Hall to remain nimble and flexible with the remaining $12 million of the relief fund created by the Board of Aldermen, Spencer said.
“Once they start getting dispersed out in the community — and we can really understand how many folks are applying and needing the rental assistance, those other programs — we'll be able to better understand where we need to invest the remaining Rams funds,” Spencer said.
City Hall also created what will be called the Recovery Office, which will be run out of the mayor’s office and will lead St. Louis’ response to the tornado in the future.
The office will prioritize developing long-term plans to rebuild St. Louis by supporting impacted residents, eliminating debris, restoring infrastructure and rebuilding housing. Julian Nicks, who previously served as the interim deputy chief operating officer in the mayor’s office, will run the Recovery Office.
The city will also move into its second phase of debris removal starting next week, the mayor said.
“We had many, many emergency contractors going out there, doing a ton of debris work that has had an enormous impact and debris removal,” Spencer said. “But it's nowhere near what we know we need to do in the long term.”
St. Louis executed a contract with Spirtas Worldwide, a Creve Coeur company that specializes in demolition, remediation and development, for additional debris removal.
Residents can expect to see the company and city crews moving through neighborhoods with heavy machinery and trucks, starting in the northeast and heading southwest. Inspectors will also assess debris for hazardous materials, like asbestos.
There isn’t yet an exact figure on how much the debris removal will cost, though it’s “hundreds of millions of dollars,” Spencer said. It’s also not clear who exactly will pay for the debris removal, but the mayor is hoping money will come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
A third phase of debris removal is still being planned, she said.
