How We’d Spend Covid-19 Cash

As Congress rushes to put together its third major coronavirus-related relief package targeted at helping Americans who have been slammed by pandemic-related financial hardships, New Haveners weighed in on social media as to what a direct check from the federal government would mean to them at this moment of economic crisis.

As of the publication time of this article Friday afternoon, what will be included in the estimated $1 trillion relief package is still far from certain.

Senate Republicans have proposed sending checks of up to $1,200 to taxpayers earning more than $75,000 and less than $99,000 per year. (Lower-income earners would receive less financial support under the plan, and those making over $99,000 would receive no cash assistance at all.)

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has proposed sending two waves of $1,000 checks to every American, the first set in April and the second in May.

Some Senate Democrats, including Connecticut’s Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, have proposed sending quarterly payments to every American, with those payments starting at $2,000 each and then subsiding as the economy rebounds, shutting off completely only after unemployment drops to less than 0.5 percentage points above the pre-pandemic levels.

“During a crisis of this magnitude, it is imperative we put forward a response commensurate with the challenge we face,” wrote 18 Democratic U.S. Senators, including Murphy and Blumenthal, in a letter sent Wednesday to U.S. Senate leadership.

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro issued a statement on Friday that laid into the Senate Republicans’ proposed bill for not going ​“nearly far enough to help working people and our most vulnerable. People have lost their jobs, businesses and schools are closed, and families do not know how they are going to be able to put food on the table and pay their bills. At a time of crisis, we must be concerned for the solvency of major industries that need assistance, but working people, families, and our most vulnerable must be our top priority.”

Congress has already passed and President Donald Trump has already signed an $8.3 billion emergency response bill for federal health agencies and a second relief package focused on paid sick leave and free coronavirus testing.

Also on Friday, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the United Way announced that they have established a new Greater New Haven COVID-19 Community Fund that aims to direct millions of dollars in the coming months towards New Haveners hurt by the novel coronavirus crisis.

On Facebook Friday morning, a variety of New Haveners spoke up about what they think of a potential direct check from the federal government. 

Would it make a difference in their current budgets? How would they spend it? How many checks should be sent out?

Please add your own thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of this article.

Paying Rent

Some said that they would spend the money to cover the most fundamental household needs now that their sources of income have been hit so hard.

“It would help with rent, utilities,” wrote local photographer and curator Luciana McClure. ​“All my jobs are on hold now so there’s no income and I have my two small kids.”

“[R]ent!” agreed writer and Independent contributor Allison Hadley. ​“I lost some (not all) income from this so this would prevent me from dipping into savings (for now).”

“I know my artist friends / dancers / collaborators are hurting,” wrote local dance instructor Alexis Robbins. ​“Paying rent and student loans is going to become/has quickly become a problem.”

“I would use it to pay living expenses- buy food, utilities, rent and buy supplies and gas for my non profit work- food recovery,” wrote Haven’s Harvest Executive Director Lori Martin.

Local marketing agency founder Giulia Gouge had a one-word response to how she would spend a direct check from the federal government. ​“Mortgage,” she wrote.

“Me and my fiancé are expecting a baby May 6th and we still have supplies and cloth diapers to get,” wrote local artist Jules Larson.

“Mine would help me pay my studio rent and utilities,” wrote local sculptor and teacher Susan Clinard. ​“Shows canceled, no studio visits etc. I would make some food drop offs to families I know in need.”

When asked how frequently this direct financial support should be provided, she responded, ​“I think people are confused and scared to say the least and based on this fact alone, my guess it is better to send out incremental payments. I think many find it difficult to push thru the day let alone a month with this looming. It may help with what it means to ration.”

Homeless New Havener Bryant Tatum (pictured) told the Independent by text that that money would help him find stable housing, which he’s struggled to find even before the pandemic.

“It would mean housing that’s been promised to a lot of people from recovering addicts to working people who are victims of circumstances and money for a rather shaky housing market in surrounding communities,” he wrote.

Not everyone who responded said they would use the money to cover their own needs. Many said they would donate it to others in more dire straits.

Donate To Others

“I would offset tenants rent on my single family house,” wrote Westville resident and former alder candidate Josh Van Hoesen. ​“I have yet to lose income over this (tech worker) so I don’t see why I should be making a ​“profit” (though as a tax payer it was originally my money to begin with).”

“We would donate it to someone directly,” wrote Molly Wheeler. ​“I’m aware that this denotes privilege but I won’t deny I have it.”

When asked where she would donate to, whether a specific individual or a local nonprofit or a mutual aid group, Wheeler responded, ​“Yes- a mutual aid group or, depending, if it would help someone we know immediately, we would do that. I’m not sure. Ideally the former and maybe given an acute need the latter.

“We have given to specific local organizations in the last week. Billy [Bromage] and I were talking about this last night. His work in anti-hunger makes knowing many that have always emergent needs a constant reality. Hard to know how to balance the mutual aid approach with direct help in relationships under these profound circumstances. I appreciate you doing this story. We all need guidance for how to best support deep impact right now.”

Click here to learn more about a new mutual aid group focused on supporting people in New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and Hartford.

“Speaking as a member of a household with higher-than-average income, I would much rather see a program that, instead of giving $1,000 (or whatever it is) to everyone, passes us over and gives $2,000 to people who need it more than we do,” wrote Independent Arts Editor Brian Slattery. ​“If we get a check like that from the government, we’ll probably just give it to other people.”

Wooster Square filmmaker Steve Hamm (pictured above) agreed.

“I think people who are secure financially should turn around and spend that money by purchasing gift cards from local family-owned businesses,” he wrote, ​“and should contribute to local social-service and arts non profits. We have to help our neighbors and our community institutions survive!”

And New Haven Pride Center Executive Director Patrick Dunn spoke up in support of making whatever relief package Congress ultimately votes on as broad and inclusive as possible.

“I would love to see the homeless community included,” he wrote, ​“everything I have read on this doesn’t seem to be inclusive of homeless as it’s going to be based on the 2018 tax filings.

“I also think there needs to be more thought put into including folks who might have been filing in 2019 for the first time which all I have read so far doesn’t include.

“There needs to be more work done around this because there are huge groups of folks who are going to be left out that likely will need this money more than anyone.”