Welcome to the Friday Update from the Federal Funding Hub!
This message shares news and resources so that our region can make the most of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other federal funding.
By WHEN will we know who won the final phase of EDA’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge? Find out below!
Upcoming Deadlines
EDA: The deadline to apply for EDA’s FY22 “Build to Scale” program is June 13, 2022.
DEED: The Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program is due August 4th, 2022, no later than 4:00 p.m. Central Time. FAQs have been added to the Mn DEED Broadband website. A reminder that June 23 is the Pre-Application Outreach deadline (only two weeks away).
US DOT: The deadline for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program is September 15, 2022.
News from MSP Cities and Counties
Saint Paul: The Saint Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Board recently received an update on the first round of funding from the City’s 30% AMI Deeply Affordable Housing Fund. Approximately one-third (~$12 million) of the previously announced $37.5 million American Rescue Plan (ARPA) investment will be deployed to support these projects, which will increase the supply of deeply affordable multifamily rental housing in Saint Paul.
St Louis Park: The St. Louis Park City Council on Monday approved a $4 million financial relief package for residents hit with two water main breaks in the same neighborhood inside of two weeks. The package approved by the council includes $3 million of the $5 million the city received in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for COVID-19 relief, and $1 million from the general funds.
Sherburne County: Nonprofits, programs and school districts in Sherburne County will receive American Rescue Plan Act funds after the Board of Commissioners approved applications for the funds at a meeting on May 3.
Minnesota News
Impasse at Legislature puts help for Minnesota’s long-term care providers in limbo: In Minnesota, Walz took steps that included deploying National Guard soldiers to nursing homes, paying to recruit and train more than 1,000 new certified nursing assistants and approving $50 million from the federal $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed in 2021 to help long-term care facilities hire and retain employees. Still, the long-term care industry has argued they need more help, and for that help to not come in the form of one-time pandemic relief.
Governor's Council on Economic Expansion: The Council met on Monday, June 6th. The Council reviewed results of the roadmap review survey, added additional strategies, prioritized tactics within strategies Watch the recording of the meeting here.
National News
IIJA aka BIL:
The White House has taken its first steps toward distributing $45 billion of federal money aimed at getting the entire country connected to high-speed Internet, with President Biden inviting governors this month to start applying for these funds. This is the first injection of funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which has $65 billion total for broadband, an unprecedented and historical amount of money that essentially means the U.S. government has acknowledged high-speed Internet is now a utility
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released a Notice of Intent (NOI) to fund the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's $8 billion program to develop regional clean hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs) across America.
ARPA Questions: The Treasury Department is not monitoring if governments are using the recovery money properly, Republican senators charge. They are asking the Government Accounting Office to investigate.
HHS: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is notifying states that they now have an additional year — through March 31, 2025 — to use funding made available by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to enhance, expand, and strengthen home- and community-based services (HCBS) for people with Medicaid who need long-term services and supports.
EDA: By September 30th of this year, EDA will announce the recipients of the final phase of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC). This $1 billion competition is the largest economic development program in the nation in the last decade, and the marquee program of EDA’s American Rescue Plan programs.
Hight Speed Internet: The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new investments from the American Rescue Plan to help provide every American with access to affordable, high-speed internet. The American Rescue Plan funding is in addition to the $65 billion investment in high-speed Internet access in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and recent announcements to lower the cost of high-speed internet for tens of millions of American families.
Upcoming Webinars and Events
Braiding Philanthropic and Nonprofit Support with ARPA and Infrastructure Funds: The Kresge Foundation is offering an open-access webinar, happening 12-1 p.m. CT on June 17, will be the first of a three-part learning series. The webinar will detail the latest news and practices for philanthropic or nonprofit practitioners interested in braiding investments alongside historic federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Register here.
Practical Approaches to Weaving Equity into Public Engagement: Join a panel on June 21st, at 12-1 pm of local government leaders as they take a deeper dive into real life, practical applications of public engagement best practice and equity building. The session is designed to help governments better position themselves and their projects in the highly competitive federal funding environment. Register here.
Building for Success: How Counties can leverage Federal Funds for Workforce Housing: On June 23rd from 2-3 p.m. learn new strategies and ideas from fellow county leaders, top research organizations and NACo staff that can help you leverage federal funds to support your county’s workforce through housing. Register here.
Resources
Equity: A new report explores how cities are using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to promote equity.
Recovery: As cities emerge from the pandemic, a new report outlines seven kinds of interventions cities are testing to ensure an equitable recovery.
IIJA Implementation: The National Governors Association created a one-stop-shop for IIJA Implementation Resources.
Podcast: Alisa Dougless, Program Manager at the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Jen Tolentino, Director of Local Practice at Results for America, talked about spending federal funding from American Rescue Plan.
Summer reads: Bloomberg Cities surveyed the latest batch of books on public-sector innovation and urban policy, and also asked city innovators what books they would recommend to their peers. Here are 10 suggestions for engaging reads.
Have a great weekend, all!
Allison