Coronavirus News

Collin County gets federal funds for home mortgages and COVID-19 tests

The funds will help with mortgage payments.

Photo courtesy of AmCap

There's a new relief program in Collin County that'll assist families and individuals impacted by COVID-19. Called Collin Cares, the recovery plan provides direct financial assistance for housing, utilities, and groceries.

Collin Cares will provide up to $2,500 in monthly financial assistance to each qualifying household, with a maximum of four months of eligibility.

It'll also provide funds for COVID-19 testing, personal protective equipment, and cities' COVID-19 costs and recovery efforts.

The funds come from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided more than $171 million in federal aid to Collin County. The funding provides relief for costs incurred from March 1 through the end of 2020.

Under Collin Cares, the Collin County Commissioners Court is providing:

$3 million for COVID-19 testing for uninsured individuals
$5 million for personal protective equipment (PPE)
$45 million for housing (rent and mortgage), utilities, and food assistance
$5 million to help re-stock local food pantries
$50 million to cities for COVID-19 costs and recovery efforts
$40 million for county COVID-19 costs

Additionally, the Commissioners Court has reserved $23 million for future costs.

Dallas residents who live in Collin County must apply for assistance through the City of Dallas, which has also received relief funds under the CARES Act.

Officials are also finalizing plans for expanded COVID-19 testing options in the county.

Program details will be shared at www.collincountytx.gov as they become available.

health

Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

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