An expansion of the Johnson County General Assistance Program was approved by the Board of Supervisors at its formal meeting on July 29.

The expansion, which is effective immediately, opens up eligibility to residents under 200% of federal poverty guidelines and also increases the maximum amount of housing assistance from $1,800 for three months to $2,550.

The maximum housing assistance ranges from $2,100 for one eligible person to $2,550 for a household of four or more. The assistance is available for three months in a 12-month period; a proposal for two months of assistance at a supervisors meeting on July 14 was increased to three months by the time the board voted on it last week.

The average cost for a two-bedroom apartment in Lone Tree is $910 per month, ranking it among the least costly in Johnson County. In Hills, that cost is $1,000 per month.

Eligibility for the program will be widely expanded. Before the changes, only those underneath the 50% level of federal poverty guidelines were eligible for three months of assistance; one month of assistance was available for those in the 50% to 130% range. The new eligibility range is up to 200% of federal poverty guidelines for three months, if needed.

“The recommendation of moving to 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines will better allow us to expand our safety net and meet the needs of a lot more Johnson County residents,” said Lynette Jacoby, Johnson County Social Services Director.

The approved changes also increase the amount of gas vouchers and include health supplies and equipment.

“I am so happy to see this done,” said supervisor Royceann Porter.

The increases were proposed in order to help those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Up to $2 million will be covered by federal pandemic relief funding.

The board also approved a 15-cent hourly seniority pay increase for county employees who were recently transferred to a non-bargaining unit. The approval came following two weeks of long discussions during the board’s work sessions.

The employees received a 1% cost-of-living increase on July 1, but those with at least five years of seniority were no longer eligible for step increases because of the non-bargaining pay structure. The approximate cost of the 15-cent increase is $150,000.

Sam Jarvis, Health Division Manager at Johnson County Public Health, appeared before the board to give an update on Covid-19 protections, now that the Delta variant has become a strong concern. New guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) calls for even fully vaccinated people to wear masks in public settings indoors. The Delta variant has proven to be highly contagious, even among some who are fully vaccinated.

“It was very discouraging news to hear,” Jarvis said.

Sixty percent of Johnson County’s total population is fully vaccinated, Jarvis said.

“We have good protection,” he said. “Could it be better? Of course.”

Johnson County’s positivity rate last week was under 5%, according to the CDC, and was placed in the moderate category for Covid risk. Washington County was in the low-risk category. Several Iowa counties are in the high-risk category, including Muscatine County.

Rod Sullivan, county supervisor, recommended that the board go back to weekly Covid updates.