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
Community Project Ideas
As the City considers projects and programs to be implemented using its allocation, the City wants to ensure that planned uses of the funding incorporate input and feedback from constituents, community-based organizations, and other community stakeholders. As such, residents were invited to submit initiative ideas for City consideration.
The City intends to reference submitted ideas as it continues to decide upon and shape initiatives that both address community pandemic recovery needs, while being consistent with applicable federal rules for the use of the funding.
Idea submissions from the community were accepted through Monday, May 2, 2022.
More Information
- 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