YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County commissioners have distributed another $1 million of the county’s $44 million in American Rescue Plan funds, this time sending $500,000 to Catholic Charities Regional Agency and $500,000 to the Mahoning Youngstown Community Action Partnership for both nonprofit groups to distribute to people needing mortgage assistance.

Commissioners David Ditzler and Carol Rimedio-Righetti approved the distribution of the money during the regular commissioners meeting Thursday. The funds are meant to offset the financial hardships brought on by COVID-19.

Nancy Voitus, executive director of Catholic Charities, said the agency has a waiting list of people needing mortgage assistance.

Catholic Charities was allotted about $1 million of Mahoning County’s federal CARES Act funding last year. It is being used to help people with rent and utilities. Some of that funding is still left to continue the program, Voitus said.

She noted that the funding also helps landlords, who can refer their tenants to Catholic Charities and MYCAP to apply for the assistance. Voitus said there is a need for rent, utilities and mortgage assistance in Mahoning County at about the same level.

“We’ve seen a lot of families that have been affected through COVID with loss of income, inability to work and then they get themselves into a hole in getting behind on the rent, the utilities. A lot of times people are heading back to work and they need get caught up,” she said.

“We had some people that weren’t able to pay their rent for a year,” she said.

Voitus said the agency has added staff to handle the number of calls regarding these assistance programs. “We get a lot of calls, very busy, and making sure they meet the criteria. And if they don’t meet this criteria, trying to see what other resources are available.”

She expects the funds will take about a year to distribute.

The county commissioners’ website refers people to call Catholic Charities at 330-744-3320 or MYCAP at 330-747-7921 for more information on applying for the assistance.

When asked by Rimedio-Righetti at the meeting about double-dipping, Voitus said Catholic Charities, MYCAP and Protestant Services work together to make sure the same person is not getting assistance from multiple agencies.

“Our main focus is to help the residents and the businesses,” Rimedio-Righetti said of how the commissioners plan to use their ARP funds.

The previous week, the commissioners allocated almost $2.5 million of ARP funds to Mahoning Valley Partners for a revolving loan fund for small businesses, and to Meridian Healthcare to use to improve its facility on West Chalmers Avenue on the South Side. Valley Partners will distribute $2 million, and Meridian received $453,000.