COUNTY NEWS
On Friday, Sept. 18 at 10:00 a.m., Los Alamos County will host a Virtual Online meeting using Zoom to present an overview of the CARES Individual Emergency Grants application and answer any questions the community may have regarding its Mortgage/Rental/Utility and/or Childcare Assistance Programs.
Individuals are asked to submit their questions in advance to the e-mail designated for the CARES Assistance Program: CARESassistance@lacnm.us
To attend the meeting, individuals are asked to register in advance on Zoom using this link:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIlcOurqzgoHtExDaUgab_u_z2phqHwWmSj
Upon registration, the individual will receive a confirmation with additional information on joining the meeting. Questions received in advance will be addressed and answered by County staff in the Social Services Division, led by Donna Casados, Social Services Manager, who has oversight of the program.
“We hope to hear from individuals who may be considering filing an application by the deadline of September 25 so that we can address any questions they might have,” Casados said, “We will answer questions to the best of our ability with the information we have available, or make note of questions we need to research and follow up with them.”
Casados said the CARES Act funding for individual Emergency Grants is still an evolving program with the State of New Mexico and Federal Treasury; however, the County is committed to disbursing grants to individuals in need of assistance as quickly as possible. Those seeking information are asked to review the criteria released in the application last Friday, which is available on the CARES Funding webpage:
The State has awarded Los Alamos County $656,250 under a COVID-19 Emergency Grant to Local Governments which can be used for those needing childcare assistance, temporary emergency rental, utilities and mortgage assistance because of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. No minimum or cap on funding requests is set at this time; the County will assess the number of applications received against funds available and the needs of the individuals.
Questions and applications for the individual Emergency Grants can be sent to CARESassistance@lacnm.us or by calling 505-663-1966 from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Appointments to discuss application questions can also be requested. Applications are being processed through the Social Services Division at 1505 15th Street, Suite A.
For those without computer or internet access, printed copies of the applications are available in the Social Services office. The County is also compiling a list of frequently asked questions that will be posted on the CARES Funding website regarding CARES Assistance funds.
Funding for individual Emergency Grants is separate from the CARES Small Business Continuity of Operations grants.