Brescia, the SOStieni Brescia project continues, here are the contributions

Brescia, The Municipality of Brescia established, at the beginning of April, the “SOStieni Brescia” fund, fueled by donations from organizations, companies and institutions and citizens to support families residents in Brescia in difficulty during the health emergency.
As of July 20, “SOStieni Brescia” had reached a total amount of 2.391.485,95 euros, 1.207.590,76 euros of which had been allocated and used. The available residue is therefore equal to 1.080.895,19 euros.

The sum of 1.310.590,76 euros was used to offer an income contribution for workers, freelancers, public establishments and commercial activities and to provide a lump-sum reimbursement of funeral expenses. Subsequently the fund was also used to finance the shopping vouchers of the Civil Protection Food Solidarity Fund, insufficient to cope with the high number of applications received, and to assign service vouchers to people in situations of serious marginalization, whose personal situation it was decidedly worsened by the emergency period.
Finally, a portion of 94 thousand euros was used to provide help to people who found themselves in difficulty paying the rent for reasons beyond their control.
The City Council has established a Committee of Guarantors of the SOStieni Brescia Fund which examined the final report of the income support interventions as of 24 April 2020.

Income support interventions (applications from 6 to 24 April 2020)
From 6 to 24 April, 389 applications were submitted, 60% of which were accepted. 42% of the applications accepted concern artisans, owners of fixed or mobile commercial activities or public establishments active until 23 February 2020 which have had to suspend or close due to the emergency while 23% are represented by VAT numbers or people with flexible contracts. 15% of the applicants had their working hours reduced by more than 50% due to the emergency while 6% of the applications were submitted by families in which a member was unable to continue to attend social, health or social services semi-residential because closed due to the emergency.
8% concern people who had a fixed-term contract that expired and was not renewed after February 23, while 3% were fired after the same date.
Finally, 4% are made up of employees on 15-day extraordinary leave, paid at 50%.
In total, contributions amounting to 268.975 euros were disbursed: 57% of the total, equal to 154.400 euros, went to artisanal and commercial activities and public establishments, while VAT numbers or people with flexible contracts received 24%, corresponding to 63.600 euros .
Regarding the rejected applications, 36% of the total, 31% concern people in arrears with the Municipality while 23% are represented by people with movable assets exceeding the maximum limit.
16% were not eligible to apply while 9% had an income above the maximum limit. Finally, seven people already benefited from other public income support while 22 did not send supplements within the set deadline.

Contribution of 250 euros for funeral expenses
To support citizens who have lost their loved ones, the Municipality of Brescia has made a contribution of 250 euros available for each mournful event.
Those families who had to pay funeral expenses for a relative in a direct or collateral line, a civil-married or cohabiting relative, resident in Brescia and who died after 23 February 2020, without income and assets limits, were able to submit the request.
502 applications were accepted and 22 were rejected. Among the latter, 19 concerned deceased people who did not live in Brescia while in three cases they were requests for non-deceased people. The contribution paid, in total, amounts to over 127.250 euros.

Service vouchers for serious marginalisation
Among the lines of contribution envisaged by the criteria of the SOStieni Brescia Fund, the provision of vouchers for services to people in situations of serious marginalization, whose personal situation has been decidedly worsened by the emergency period, has also been envisaged.
Vouchers for 160.500 euros were provided, based on reports received from the Perlar Association, the Cathedral parish, Cooperativa La Rete, Associazione Il Calabrone, Cooperativa Il Calabrone, Dormitorio San Vincenzo and Dormitorio female San Vincenzo, Associazione Centro Migranti, shared with the Social Services Sector.

Integration Food Solidarity Fund
659.865,76 euros were drawn from the SOStieni Brescia Fund to integrate the civil protection food solidarity fund. Of the total 5.046 requests for shopping vouchers accepted, 1.991 are due to the SOStieni Brescia fund.

Single measure to support rent
A portion of 94 thousand euros was used to help people who found themselves in difficulty paying the rent for reasons beyond their control.