What is ARPA?
The American Rescue Plan will deliver $350 billion for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 emergency and bring back jobs. The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide a substantial infusion of resources to help turn the tide on the pandemic, address its economic fallout, and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery.
The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments with a substantial infusion of resources to meet pandemic response needs and rebuild a stronger, and more equitable economy as the country recovers.
What Can Funds Be Used For?
Recipients may use these funds to:
- Support public health expenditures, by, for example, funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff
- Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector
- Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic
- Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors
- Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet
ARPA Funds Allocation
On Tuesday, July 5, 2022, the City of Cambridge announced that approximately $19.6 million of the remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have been distributed. This distribution was based on the robust discussions during Finance Committee meetings, discussions with Co-Chairs Carlone and Nolan, and an evaluation of project proposals submitted by the public.
As a part of this $19.6 million allocation, $6 million, or 30% of the total, is going to the Cambridge Non-Profit Coalition, which the City has been working with closely during this process. An additional $3.4 million of this allocation is going to other non-profits. I am proud that approximately 50% of this $19.6 million is being distributed to non-profits, which are important community partners with the City. This $9.4 million in funding for non-profits is in addition to the roughly $19 million dollars already allocated to this sector in the previous rounds of ARPA funding. Additionally, sustainability and open space projects totaling $3.2 million have been funded, primarily to support the work of the Climate Crisis Working Group. $2.0 million has been allocated to support transit recommendations from the Mayor’s Task Force. Approximately $5 million has been allocated to support requests made in the areas of small business, homeless support, food insecurity, mental health, public health, arts, and job training.
More Information
- City of Cambridge ARPA Workshops - July 21, 2022 and August 4, 2022
- ARPA Funding Letter - July 5, 2022
- Final ARPA Allocation Summary - July 5, 2022
- ARPA Committed Projects - June 10, 2022
- ARPA Committed Projects, City Council Priority Summary - June 10, 2022
- ARPA Award Summary - June 10, 2022
- City of Cambridge - ARPA Community Project Ideas - May 16, 2022
- Finance Sub-Committee - ARPA Community Project Ideas - April 14, 2022
- City of Cambridge ARPA Committed and Pending Projects - March 2, 2022
- An Overview of the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) - February 15, 2022
- Slides - City Council Finance Committee - December 1, 2021
- Slides - City Council Finance Committee, State and Local Fiscal Recovery Grant - July 27, 2021