A tranche of funds St. Louis officials call a historic investment in winter sheltering for people struggling with housing heads to Mayor Cara Spencer’s desk after the Board of Aldermen unanimously approved the bills.
The board sent the three bills to the mayor after fast-tracking the legislation that will inject nearly $14 million worth of interest from the Rams settlement and money from the city’s general reserve.
The investment comes ahead of a winter that city officials expect will see an increased need for cold-weather sheltering for people affected by the May 16 EF3 tornado, which severely damaged or destroyed thousands of homes.
In past years, homeless advocates told St. Louis Public Radio that the city and aid providers struggle to house St. Louis’ full homeless population.
In late October, Spencer, Board of Aldermen President Megan Green and board members Alisha Sonnier, Rasheen Aldridge and Shameem Clark Hubbard announced they would fast-track the three bills to fund winter operations.
The bills approve the following funding:
- $9.3 million in one-time surplus from the city's general reserve fund from last year’s budget toward winter-related emergency housing, shelter, repair and rental assistance.
- $3.6 million from Rams settlement fund interest toward enabling rapid activation and additional winter weather facilities. The funds also extend hours at those facilities, reactivate the city’s warming bus and fund aid, outreach and transportation to shelters.
- $1 million in accrued Rams settlement interest to the Impacted Tenants Fund in an effort to provide affected individuals with more money to help them relocate.
Last week, officials in the city’s Human Services Department said legal hurdles had stalled the Impacted Tenant Fund, which was expanded to help people affected by the tornado. The program had yet to take any applications from the public, despite its inception in 2024.
Adam Pearson, director of human services, said the department plans to begin accepting applications soon.
Spencer said the $13.7 million from the bills passed Friday joins a reported $93 million in funds already allocated or spent on tornado relief.
At a press conference last month, Spencer said the city can call the winter a success if it sees no deaths from cold weather exposure. In February, an unsheltered woman died near City Hall due to cold weather.
