Akron will no longer use COVID-19 relief dollars to help cancel residents’ medical debt. The debt relief program will still exist – but with a different funding source, according to a Friday news release.
In 2023, city leaders approved using $500,000 of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation to work with a nonprofit, Undue Medical Debt, which connects directly with local hospitals to relieve medical debt.
However, the organization needs more time, officials said.
ARPA dollars have a time limit – they must be spent by the end of 2026.
City officials have decided to instead use money from the city’s general fund for the debt relief program, Mayor Shammas Malik said in the release.
“Our…
