Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released a plan Tuesday morning on how the city will spend the last $576 million it received in federal pandemic relief dollars. [Health News Illinois]

The strategic plan calls for spending in six pillars, including $83 million for mental health services. Of that, $24 million will support home visits to families with newborns who are three-to-five weeks postpartum. 

Another $20 million will go to a city program that provides mental health services through a network of community health centers, community mental health centers and community-based organizations.

The plan allocates $72 million for housing and homelessness support, including $32 million to help individuals move from a shelter or the street to a housing unit.

The administration also wants to allocate $63 million to provide a $500 monthly stipend to low-income Chicagoans.

Federal guidelines mandate that the funds must be spent by the end of 2026.

“My administration has developed a plan to ensure that these funds are being used in a strategic way to directly and concretely impact the lives of people across Chicago,” Johnson said in a statement.

The Johnson administration also said it plans to be more transparent with the spending of federal pandemic dollars in response to rising criticism from members of the Chicago City Council. Along with monthly reports to the council, the administration said it will launch a data dashboard this fall about the spending. 

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