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Nearly 700 Fort Bend County residents no longer have to worry about how to pay off medical debt, thanks to the financial support of a local church.Â
For the second straight year, Crossbridge Church at 1049 Eldridge Rd. in Sugar Land partnered with RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based nonprofit, to purchase and forgive $1.9 million in medical debt for 688 individuals who earn less than twice the federal poverty level, or $26,500.
The average amount of medical debt forgiven per person was $3,000.Â
âThis could be a single mom with three kids making $50,000,â said Diego Armendariz, executive pastor at Crossbridge. âThat could be a crushing burden. Thatâs the difference between making rent and paying this off.âÂ
 Despite outcries from Fort Bend County Judge KP George and calls to action from local nonprofit leaders, the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 May 4 to approve the countyâs allocation of more than $157 million in state and local COVID-19 relief funds apportioned from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (APRA).
The funds are to be split between 2021 and 2022, according to the budget, which is a draft dated April 29 and was the most recent version of the document available per Georgeâs communications director Tami Frazier.Â
George posted a statement on Facebook last Wednesday in response to the vote, calling it a âhaphazardly constructed planâ and âwithout an iota of community involvement.âÂ
Fort Bend County Judge KP George spent this past week aligning himself with his Democratic allies Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner in their public battle with the Greater Houston Partnership over proposed changes to state voting laws, and lambasting his colleagues on the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court for allocating millions in federal coronavirus relief funds without any public input.
On Thursday, George threw his support behind Turner and Hidalgo for their decision to pull out of their annual State of the City and County speeches before the Greater Houston Partnership due to the business group’s failure to speak out against a pair of controversial voting bills up for debate in the state legislature.
The Fort Bend County Commissioners Court recently approved the use of federal CARES Act funding to provide childcare assistance to local families facing financial instability as a result of COVID-19.
Using the Childcare Voucher Program, eligible Fort Bend County families can receive up to $500 per child for up to three children, according to the county.
In order to qualify for the vouchers, families must meet the following criteria:
Be a Fort Bend County resident at the time of application
Child must be under 13 years of age
Use approved voucher at a Texas Licensed Child Care Center/Program or Texas Licensed Child Care Home Provider located in Fort Bend CountyÂ