The Johnson County Board of Supervisors voted today, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, to fund all eligible Direct Assistance Program applicants, including those who reside outside of the municipal corporate boundaries of the City of Iowa City and were not originally selected for program benefits.

Johnson County worked with Iowa City to modify terms of the original agreement between the two entities to ensure all eligible applicants receive funding.

Through the modified agreement, Johnson County funded 1,747 residents who applied and were deemed eligible for the Direct Assistance Program. Through respective investments, Coralville funded 19 residents and Iowa City funded 791 residents.

Direct Assistance Program relief payments will be mailed to those eligible applicants not previously selected at the address provided during the application process.

The Direct Assistance Program opened on April 25 and closed May 27, 2022. County staff hosted appeal clinics June 13 through June 23 to provide assistance to those residents initially deemed ineligible. All allocated funds have been exhausted and no additional applications or requests for funding are being considered.

Johnson County is committed to utilizing ARPA funds to enhance investments in public services and maximize the impacts of our local fiscal recovery allocation. The County's ARPA Team has been working since February 2021 to build a planning framework and administer funding to benefit Johnson County residents.

More information is available on the Direct Assistance Program website in English at https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/direct-assistance-program or in Spanish at https://johnsoncountyiowa.gov/programa-de-asistencia-directa. 

More information about the American Rescue Plan Act and how it impacts Johnson County is available at https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/arpa.