On Nov. 5 the St. Louis Board of Aldermen Budget & Public Employees Committee voted to advance Board Bill 95, a measure that would move $9,350,000 in one‑time unreserved general operating reserve funds into the Tornado Relief and Recovery Fund to support winter emergency sheltering and additional tornado disaster relief for residents impacted by the May 16 tornado.

The bill, introduced by Alderman Shamim Clark Hubbard, is intended to expand congregate and non‑congregate shelter capacity, provide rental assistance and bring additional vacant units online as intermediate housing. “This helps us provide all of those direct areas both temporary and intermediate housing options for residents within the tornado zone,” Julie Nicks, chief recovery officer, told the committee. Nicks and Adam Pearson, director of the Department of Human Services, said FEMA rental assistance is sunsetting in December and that some households remain ineligible or never applied for federal aid.

Adam Pearson described the difference between congregate and non‑congregate sheltering: congregate shelters place many people in the same room, while non‑congregate options use hotels or separated rooms for families or people with special needs. The recovery office also said the bill would allow the city to amend existing contracts and temporarily suspend certain procurement steps to speed delivery while retaining ENA review and transparency checks.

A tornado‑impacted resident, Kim Holt, testified at the meeting that she and her husband applied to “every program” the city opened after the storm and later learned early applications were discarded; she said she has received no follow‑up on requests for assistance despite volunteers repairing her roof and removing debris. “We applied the day they hit,” Holt said. “We still have not gotten a call on any of the applications.” Her testimony was cited by the bill sponsor as an urgency argument for faster outreach and clearer processes.

Committee members asked for details about implementation and where funds would be managed; city staff said the $9,350,000 would be allocated to the Office of Tornado Recovery, which would distribute to Department of Human Services and existing contractors as needed. The committee enbanked the bill and later sustained a motion to recommend it for passage in committee by roll call (4 aye votes). The recommendation will be sent to the full Board of Aldermen for final consideration.

Committee members and advocates urged expedited public communication and monitoring of contracts, with several aldermen seeking assurances the funds would be used to support local providers and not solely for large, centralized shelters. City staff said they plan to prioritize adding shelter capacity with existing providers and augmenting with additional sites as necessary.