Today, the legislature unanimously passed the second relief bill for WNC. I am grateful for continued attention and funding for WNC – every dollar is needed, and this bill allocates a lot of them – $644.1 million, to be exact.
And, yet, this bill still falls short. The people and economy of our region hang in the balance right now – not in November, not in December, not next year – but now. Our workers and our businesses need a lifeboat, not the life ring that this bill provides. Specifically, this bill fails to meet the two greatest needs in our region – an immediate moratorium on evictions or massive rental assistance; and grants, not loans, for our small businesses. There is $50 million for business loans, but we need grants. There is $1 million for rental assistance, but that will not go very far.
We will be back on November 19 for the next relief bill. I will continue to fight for it to provide meaningful relief for the people and small businesses of WNC. Sadly, it will be too late for some. I only hope it is not too late for most. Here is a link to my floor speech on the bill, in which I read statements from organizations in Buncombe County working on these issues.
Here are the resources guides for today:
Onward,
Julie
