BALTIMORE, MD (Monday, February 8, 2021) — On Wednesday, the Board of Estimates is scheduled to review the COVID Emergency Assistance Program, an initiative that would provide critical support to low-income families who do not typically access government assistance program. The Board of Estimates approval would position the final pillar of the city’s COVID-19 Emergency Food Strategy, COVID Emergency Assistance Program, to provide a one-time, $400 prepaid card to up to 15,000 households, with a focus on immigrant households, returning citizens, the LGBTQ+ community and people and families experiencing homelessness. 

Funded with $6 million in City funds, the COVID Emergency Assistance Program is a partnership between Baltimore City, the Open Society Institute-Baltimore (OSI), Baltimore’s Promise, and a dozen community-based organizations. Baltimore’s Promise will lead the distribution of the prepaid cards to families and people in Baltimore. Baltimore City is funding the program, OSI is administering it, the community-based organizations are helping recruit program participants and providing application support, and Baltimore’s Promise will issue the cards to participants.

 “The COVID Emergency Assistance Program will provide critical cash assistance to low-income  families in Baltimore,” said Mayor Brandon Scott. “We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the socioeconomic inequalities in Baltimore, and we must do everything in our power to leverage our resources to support our most vulnerable communities.” 

“OSI is proud of this innovative public-private partnership that will put much-needed resources into the hands of Baltimore residents,” said OSI Director Danielle Torain. “We hope that it can become a model for further collaboration on a wide range of efforts, and a new, responsive point of infrastructure that Baltimore can utilize to effectively fill a variety of critical local needs over time.”

The Board of Estimates approved the program last summer, but technical issues delayed implementation, requiring the contract to go back to the Board for a second review. Pending approval on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, the program will launch on March 1, 2021.

If approved, the COVID Emergency Assistance Program will be led and managed by the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success (MOCFS). Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, MOCFS has provided vital resources to families, including rent assistance and eviction prevention, monthly food assistance and free meals and produce boxes, and more.

"We are very eager to launch the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Program with OSI, Baltimore's Promise and the other community-based partners,” said Tisha Edwards, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success. “We know that the pandemic has taken an extraordinary toll on so many children and families and we see this program as an opportunity to provide some much needed relief."

The community organizations partnering on the COVID Emergency Assistance Program include Banner Neighborhoods Community Corp, Bon Secours Community Works, CASA of Maryland, Inc., Center for Urban Families, City of Refuge Baltimore, Elev8 Baltimore, Esperanza Center, Urban Strategies, Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition Inc., Safe Streets, Roca, and Job Opportunities Task Force. 

The COVID-19 Emergency Assistance program will complete the deployment of $6 million in direct support for families impacted by COVID-19, listed under COVID-19 Recovery in Mayor Scott’s 100 Days of Action Tracker. 

To view the full tracker, visit mayor.baltimorecity.gov/tracker