Smith: NJ Health Center’s get $25M in CARES Act Emergency Funds to Serve Residents

WASHINGTON, DC – Two dozen community health centers in New Jersey, including two health centers in Lakewood, have been awarded an added $25 million in federal funds to help combat the impact of the coronavirus, said Rep. Chris Smith.

Smith said the funding—$25,132,155 which will help pay for coronavirus expenses, including costs associated with prevention, preparedness and response to COVID-19—comes from the comprehensive, bipartisan $2 trillion stimulus bill to help communities devastated by the coronavirus pandemic which Smith supported and was signed into law by President Trump March 27.

“Helping community health centers, which are at the heart of the coronavirus outbreak across America, must be a top priority,” said Smith (NJ-04), who spoke on the floor in support of quick passage of the CARES Act. “The health centers need to be in a strong position as we head into next week and the expected peak of the outbreak in New Jersey.  I am proud to have helped win federal designation—and funding—years ago for each of these first-rate health care centers that serve the Lakewood area, and I know they are on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak. Congress passed CARES to get aid into the hands of health providers as quickly as possible.”

• The Ocean Health Initiatives in Lakewood, Ocean County will receive $1,178,900 in Health Center CARES Act funding
• The Lakewood Resource and Referral Center in Lakewood, Ocean Co. will receive $1,288,685 in Health Center CARES Act funding
• The Henry J. Austin Center in Trenton, Mercer County will receive $797,240, and;
• The Visiting Nurses Association of Central NJ in Asbury Park, Monmouth County was awarded $738,200

The funding follows more than $4.5 million in emergency funding awarded last week to local governments in the Fourth Congressional District by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Most of the funding came in the form HUD’s CDBG “COVID-19 Recovery” funding. Monmouth County was awarded $1,595,421; Ocean County, $820,810; Lakewood Township, $835,784; Hamilton Township, $398,638, and; Middletown Township, $156,171. Additionally, Monmouth County was awarded $752,907 in HUD Emergency Shelter Grant funding.

The CARES Act is the third and the largest phase of the federal response enacted into law. Smith supported Phase I, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020—which provided $8.3 billion for treatment and prevention measures in NJ, including in NJ:

• $64,060 for the Henry J. Austin Center in Mercer County;
• $62,473 for the Visiting Nurses Association of Central NJ in Monmouth County;
• $83,256 for Ocean Health Initiative in Ocean County, and;
• $82,932 for Lakewood Resource and Referral Center in Ocean County.

Phase II, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act—provided paid sick leave, family medical leave, free testing, and expanded unemployment benefits among other provisions to help working Americans.

“Other sites in or serving the Fourth Congressional District and other areas in the state that are getting federal money for their ongoing operations are in true need of this assistance, which couldn’t come at a better time,” Smith said. “We are not though with this yet. More help is needed, and more help is on the way.”

Signed by President Trump, The CARES Act is also providing direct financial assistance of $1,200 for individuals making under $75,000 per year, $100 billion in grants to hospitals to address coronavirus-related financial damage, $150 billion to assist state and local governments, $600 extra per week to unemployment benefits for four months, and $16 billion to assist in the procurement of medical supplies for the Strategic National Stockpile.