Lee County CARES Act fund sees around 7,000 applications in first 4 hours

Lee County CARES Act fund sees around 7,000 applications in first 4 hours

ASTRONAUT WHO FLEW WITH ONE OFTHE MEN HEADING INTO SPACETOMORROW.THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ANDBUSINESSES ARE NOW COUNTING ONLEE COUNTY FOR HELTHANKS FOR JOINING US AT 6..

I’MPATRICK NOLAN.AND I’M JANE MONREAL.TODAY, THE COUNTY STARTEDACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR CARESACT MONEY IT RECEIVED FROM THEFEDERAL GOVERNMENT.FOUR IN YOUR CORNER’S ROB MANCHSPOKE WITH ONE WOMAN WHO HASBEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR MONTHS, ANDNEEDS HELP MAKING RENT.

ROB?INTRO:Today, I spoke with MarissaStafford, who lives in CapeCoral.She’s been unemployed formonths, and she’s still waitingon her IRS refund, her stimuluscheck, and she’s gotten nowherewith the state unemploymentsystem.So this morning, she got upearly, and came down here to theLee County AdministrationBuilding, hoping to get somerelief.PKG:When she got there, theyprovided her with this form tofill out.Stafford says paper wasn’t herfirst choice, but the websitehad issues.Marissa Stafford, Applied ForCARES Money:"I jumped on it right away, andbefore I could even begin, therewas problems with that website."She called the county, which hadpeople answering the phones allday, but ultimately theycouldn’t figure out the issue."She said, you know what, justcome down and pick up theapplication, she gave me theaddress, and I said great, I wason it."In a news conference later,commissioner Cecil Pendergrassaddressed the problem.Cecil Pendergrass, Lee CountyCommissioner:"You look at a website, youjust look at it on your phone,as compared with an iPad or adesktop, this will be adifferent configuration so Ithink that’s what they wereexperiencing.

They were tryingto get to the next mode, andthey weren’t able to do that,but like I said, this has allbeen put together over the lastfew weeks."And Commission Chair BrianHamman put into perspective theenormous strain the system wasunder in its first day.Brian Hamman, Lee CountyCommission Chair:"I think the fact that, inbasically four hours, we hadalmost 7,000 applications,really demonstrates that a lotof people and a lot ofbusinesses are really hurtingout there."People like Stafford, who says,she needs this money to pay herlandlord."$2,000 would definitely put anice chunk in what I do owe."The county says it saw moreindividuals like Stafford thanbusinesses applying forassistance through itsHomelessness Prevention Program.It’s currently working with apool of about 57 milliondollars, but Commissioners couldvote to increase it.TAG:And for now, the county says itis still accepting applicationsboth online and in person hereat the Lee County Administra