On Monday, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock – who for months has called on Congress to provide more coronavirus relief funding – was one of thousands of mayors across the country celebrating President Donald Trump’s signature on a massive new stimulus package that will help cities stay afloat in the face of a coronavirus-addled economy. 

“This is a long-awaited deal, and while it doesn’t go as far as we would have liked and was unnecessarily delayed by the President, it will provide some much-needed relief to those families, small businesses and industries hit hardest by the effects of the virus,” Hancock, a vocal critic of the Trump administration, said in a statement Monday. 

The package – signed by the president Sunday, nearly a week after he called the bill a “disgrace” – will include additional funding for small business loans in the  Paycheck Protection Program, extend unemployment benefits and push the eviction moratorium through Jan. 31, 2021. More funding will also be allocated for rental assistance, public school districts, child care providers, nonprofits and food stamp recipients. 

Additionally, the city will receive aid to assist with COVID-19 testing, vaccine distribution and to make FDA-approved vaccines available for free to residents in need. 

Denver’s entertainment industry, which has taken a hard hit this year, is also expected to benefit from the latest deal, which includes the “Save Our Stages” act, a $15 billion relief measure for independent music venues, movie theaters and similar cultural institutions whose doors have been almost entirely closed since March.

“Denver stands ready to support our local venues in securing funding through these newly available dollars,” the mayor’s office said.

Congress has also extended the deadline for spending coronavirus relief funding, from Dec. 30 to the end of 2021 instead. 

Denver has received $126.9 million in federal relief, which it was first allocated in late April. To date, the city had spent roughly $103 million, which officials disbursed over three main phases. 

The city has also allocated nearly $41.5 million to support citywide operations related to the pandemic, including offsetting emergency payroll and operations expenses, as well as set aside nearly $24 million to cover emergency homeless shelter expenses. 

City officials remain “hopeful” that more relief is on its way with the incoming administration under former Vice President Joe Biden.

“The job isn’t finished,” Hancock said, “and I encourage our members of Congress to pass additional relief in the next session to help people make it through the end of this pandemic and bolster the economic recovery.”