Bernalillo County is offering direct payments of up to $500 to low-income residents who suffered financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic but are ineligible for unemployment benefits and did not receive federal stimulus checks.
The county has put a total of $1.4 million toward the program, meaning it could help up about 2,800 households.
Applications for the assistance open at noon on Feb. 8.
“We need to try and help everybody during this pandemic and find those who are on the edges scraping by,” County Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada said in a statement.
The city of Albuquerque offered a similar program in December and said the nearly $2.5 million it made available was fully tapped within eight hours of opening applications.
Residents anywhere in Bernalillo County — including within Albuquerque city limits — are eligible for the new $1.4 million.
Applicants will be required to provide documentation proving their identity and that they have income at 150% or below the federal poverty level or have qualified for public assistance.
More details are available here.
