Mayor explains why Atlanta must sends millions of dollars in COVID-relief back to Washington

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is addressing why the city is about to return $10 million in COVID relief money to the feds.

FOX 5 broke the story about the rental relief cash.

The Dickens administration has fielded complaints, including from Atlanta City Council members, demanding to know why the outreach to citizen fell short.

For people who are renters, millions poured in from Washington in financial assistance due to COVID. 

The council, earlier this week, expressed how they were caught off guard when a government financial executive told them $10 million in federal dollars did not get distributed. 

"Did I hear you correctly that there were some emergency rental funds that we're going to end up sending back?" council member Alex Wan asked during a presentation to the finance council by Deputy City Attorney Jerry Deloach on the topic.

Deloach confirmed about $10 million will need to be sent back.

The mayor explained the pending giveback has nothing to do with effort. 

All told, about 11,000 to 12,000 families got resources. We spent it so well, got it into the hands of family members, that the state said, ‘Here, take our allocation,’" Mayor Dickens said.

Atlanta agreed to accept and try to hand out all the $21 million of the state funds. The city got halfway to the new goal. 

The mayor says the money that came in was tied to COVID. 

"That Dec. 31st money was related to COVID, so you had to have a COVID medical bill that you could show, you also had to show that you were laid off or some sort of work impact

The mayor said the guidelines changes were why it was difficult for the city to use it all.