Home News Administration Second Round Of ARPA Funding Process To Begin In Brookline

Second Round Of ARPA Funding Process To Begin In Brookline

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American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Submission Review Subcommittee Co-Chairs Miriam Aschkenasy and Mike Sandman are pleased to announce the second round of ARPA funding is now open.

President Biden signed ARPA into law in 2021 to support municipalities’ efforts to rebound from the CoViD-19 pandemic. The first round of funding was reviewed by the subcommittee and was allocated for fiscal year 2023, which began on July 01, 2022.

The next round of funding will be awarded for fiscal year 2024, and all proposals will be considered by the subcommittee, with those recommended for funding being submitted to the Select Board for approval this spring. The meetings will be open to the public, as well as recorded for viewing on-demand.

The subcommittee will hold virtual public meetings Fridays at 02:00 p.m. on:

  • February 17, 2023, join here;
  • March 03, 2023, join here;
  • March 24, 2023, join here;
  • March 31, 2023, join here;
  • April 07, 2023, join here.

There will also be one Friday meeting at 11:00 a.m.:

  • March 17, 2023, join here.

Prospective applicants can register and complete their applications online here.

The application is due by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

ARPA Funding can be used for:

  • Supporting public health response efforts or addressing negative economic impacts;
  • Replacing public sector revenue loss;
  • Establishing premium pay for essential workers Investments in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure Investment in a wide range of community-oriented projects.

Speakers at the public hearing will be strictly limited to 90 seconds in order to facilitate as much feedback as possible during the hearing. Residents may also submit comments via e-mail at ARPAReview@brooklinema.gov. Residents may utilize that email address to provide general feedback on the proposals and process.

In the first round of funding, the Select Board allocated just over $22.4 million to several organizations and projects, including:

  • $198,000 for a pedestrian safety study;
  • $1 million for the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health to establish urgent care stabilization and recovery services;
  • $1 million to support the Brookline Community Foundation’s Safety Net Fund and grantmaking to local nonprofits and organizations;
  • $6 million to support maintenance and capital needs at the Brookline Housing Authority’s Egmont Street Veterans and Trustman Apartments;
  • $3.5 million to address a Public Schools of Brookline operating budget shortfall due to lack of additional federal funding under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Program;
  • $1.4 million toward the Davis Footbridge’s design and construction;
  • $300,000 for the Brookline Food Pantry to expand and maintain its operations;
  • More than $257,000 for Women Thriving, Inc., which will provide three, eight-month training programs in work skills, personal finance, health and wellbeing, and more for immigrant women;
  • $500,000 for the Brookline Teen Center for its equitable recovery and program expansion.

To access all publicly available information about ARPA in Brookline, please visit the American Rescue Plan Fund tracker here.

Unlike the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which were intended to allay the direct and immediate impact of the pandemic, the American Rescue Plan allows for more flexible spending and extends the timeline for recipients to allocate money. About $350 billion will be passed down to state, local, and tribal governments to help cope with the economic and public health fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.