Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

The Haines Borough is wrapping up processing for its CARES Act-funded individual grant program.

In total, the borough received 530 applications for the program that awarded $1,000 per adult and $500 per dependent child to eligible individuals. Program requirements included Haines residency, income loss due to the pandemic, and an anticipated 2020 income of $40,000 or less, or a joint income of $80,000 or less.

As of Monday, the borough had approved 404 applications and denied 36. The borough sent 174 emails asking for additional information from applicants who hadn’t provided sufficient proof of eligibility. Ninety applications still need to be processed.

“The most common reason applications were rejected was a failure to demonstrate a loss of income due to COVID,” borough chief fiscal officer Jila Stuart said.

The Haines Borough Assembly will finalize a spending plan for remaining CARES Act funds at a meeting Dec. 8. In total, the borough received roughly $4 million from the federal coronavirus economic stimulus bill.