Direct Cash Assistance Report

A new report from Missouri Jobs with Justice and Hester St. highlights how stakeholders and the city of St. Louis applied American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to pilot a Direct Cash Assistance program for 9,300 St. Louis residents most negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

The biggest takeaways from the report include:

• Direct cash assistance was predominantly used toward essential needs, including utilities and groceries.
• 99.3% of direct cash assistance survey respondents agreed that one-time assistance was not enough and believe the City of St. Louis should do a program like this again.
• A majority of the recipients cited job loss, unpaid time off due to COVID-19 or quarantine, and inability to work due to lack of childcare.
• Direct cash assistance recipients largely resided in Black and brown neighborhoods in the eastern and northern parts of St. Louis.
• 80% of direct cash assistance residents identified as Black, 71% identified as women.

Download the Direct Cash Assistance Report Here