Committee backs expanding tenant relief fund to include tornado-displaced renters

At a meeting of the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen's Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee, members voted to recommend passage of Board Bill 23, an amendment to the city's Impact Tenant Fund that expands eligibility so tenants displaced by the recent tornado can apply for aid.

The bill, sponsored in committee by Alderman Aldridge, would update ordinance No. 71840 to allow use of fund monies for administrative costs and to clarify that tenants displaced by the tornado are eligible for assistance. Alderman Aldridge said the change responds to concerns raised by the Department of Human Services and will let tenants "tap into this tenant fund" when homes are condemned or otherwise uninhabitable. "We did add language that there'll be just a 5% administrative fee," Aldridge said.

The measure matters because it creates a short-term pathway for renters to receive help covering first or last month's rent after tornado damage. "This is a high density area that this tornado went into. We have a lot of renters up there who...were impacted," Casey Milberg, Policy Director in the Mayor's Office, told the committee. Milberg called the bill "a really smart common sense update to this program. It will be easy to administer," and said the mayor's office and DHS will work to stand up the program quickly if the bill is signed.

Committee discussion and public testimony focused on how the program will operate and how quickly it can deliver aid. Committee members were told the fund's initial $100,000 came from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars and has not been spent; staff also said $160,000 is scheduled in the FY 2026 budget for the fund. Employment Connections was identified as the likely administrator and will require a small share of funds to cover staffing. The committee was told applications and program parameters will be developed by DHS and Employment Connections and will return to the committee before funds are expended.

Public commenters described immediate housing needs. Maya Petty, a displaced renter with two children, said, "my kids and I were displaced... we're living in a hotel," and asked the committee to pass the bill. Kristin Blackman, describing tenant experiences at damaged apartment buildings, urged rapid distribution of funds and help for tenants who may be moved out even when unit stickers differ between buildings.

The committee moved the bill with a due-pass recommendation; a roll call during the committee vote recorded seven aye votes. Committee members asked staff to be ready to convene a follow-up hearing to review application criteria and documentation requirements; staff requested members be "on standby" for a possible meeting next week to finalize parameters.

The bill now moves to the full Board of Aldermen for consideration; if enacted and signed, DHS and Employment Connections will proceed with the administrative steps described to begin distributing assistance to eligible tenants.