U.S. dollar bills are photographed. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)

The City of Stockton’s Economic Development Department announced this week the availability of over $1 million in funding aimed to help homeless individuals and families facing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roughly $1.5 million will be distributed to homeless Stockton residents in order to prevent, prepare for and respond to the on-going pandemic after applicants fill out an online application.

Individuals interested in receiving aid can submit their application online using the Neighborly portal which can be found at https://portal.neighborlysoftware.com/stocktonca/Participant.

The city said the money was made available through the Emergency Solutions Grant CARES Act, a financial fund from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the State of California.

Funding from the program will be distributed until all the money has been awarded.

Applications mailed, faxed, emailed or turned in in-person will not be accepted.

Victoria Franco is a Stockton-based reporter covering the diverse news around the Central Valley as part of the Report for America program. As a Stockton native, Franco is proud to cover stories within her community and report a variety of coverage. She is a San Jose State University alumna with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. In her collegiate years she was Managing Editor for the Spartan Daily. From her time at the Spartan Daily she helped lead her staff to California College Media Awards and a General Excellence first place. Victoria encourages readers to email her story tips and ideas at victoria.franco@baycitynews.com.