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.
News from MSP Cities
Savage:
Support for local businesses, reducing water usage, and library renovation are among the top initiatives to be supported by Savage’s share of federal aid, according to a spending plan adopted by city officials this week.
The city released Request for Proposals (RFPs) for 4 projects in mental health, business engagement, and activation events that will be funded under the City's ARPA. Due: Tuesday, March 22 at 4:00 pm.
Edina: The White House featured information about the city’s sponsorship of high-speed internet for income-qualified residents through Comcast’s Internet Essentials program.
Brooklyn Park: The city’s use of funds toward violence intervention and interruption activities was featured on Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s website.
Burnsville: The U.S. Conference of Mayors featured the city’s use of ARPA funds to maintain staffing levels and to support capital equipment costs (page 7).
St. Paul: The city has approved $4.5 million dollars of ARPA funding for the Tourism Recovery Support Program. Applications are due by Monday, March 28, 2022, at 5 p.m.
Suburbs: Read how Twin Cities suburbs are spending ARPA money.
News from MSP Counties
Dakota County: Dakota County CDA will hold a public hearing for the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan on April 19, 2022.
Hennepin County: The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners authorized up to $10 million in ARPA funding for a place-based approach to strengthen communities, accelerate economic recovery, and address disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 through the Community Investment Initiative (CII).
Anoka County: NACO has featured the county’s $3.1 million ARPA allocation for matching grants to cities and townships for broadband projects in unserved and underserved communities.
Minnesota News
Minnesota Council on Foundations: The proposed one-time Minnesota Nonprofit Relief Fund utilizes $200 million dollars from the state’s budget surplus or remaining money from the federal American Rescue Plan to provide general operating grants of $50,000 - $150,000 to Minnesota nonprofits, focused on small, rural, human services, and culturally-specific organizations.
Governor's Council on Economic Expansion: The Council met on March 14th to understand current barriers to health equity, supporting the caring professions, and the relationship between the economy and social determinants of health.
National News
EDA: In the 365 days since ARPA was signed into law, the EDA team has designed and started implementing six transformational programs. Check out the report from Alejandra Y. Castillo, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development.
ARPA Clawbacks:
The Senate wants to look first at unspent American Rescue Plan Act funds before agreeing to more Covid aid.
Officials with the nation’s cities expressed outrage at Congress’ attempt last week to claw back about $7 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds from 30 states—a move that Clarence Anthony, CEO and executive director of the National League of Cities, said would have hurt municipalities as well.
Congressional leaders released the text of their $1.5 trillion “omnibus” bill to fund government operations. The bill would have reclaimed more than $7 billion in flexible fiscal recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act that 30 states had not yet fully obligated.
One Year Into ARPA: Billions in state and local aid from the American Rescue Plan Act have gone to combat the pandemic, but also to build monuments and fix state buildings.
Upcoming Webinars
GREATER MSP Bold North BioInnovation Cluster Recap: We are hosting a webinar on Thursday, March 24th from 3-4 p.m. for partners and supporters in which we’ll walk through the details of our application and share the latest feedback from the EDA.
The White House Webinars: A series of webinars over the coming weeks will help local leaders and others get familiar with funding opportunities in the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure law.
Environmental Remediation: Tuesday, March 22nd at 3 p.m. Register Here
Broadband: Thursday, March 24th at 3 p.m. Register Here
Community Engagement: On Thursday, March 31, from 1:00 – 1:45 p.m. CT, join a live National League of Cities webinar on Investing in Community Engagement using ARPA dollars to invest in long-term recovery.
Reentry and Housing: This webinar on April 20, 2022, 11:00 pm – 12:15 p.m. CT will focus on Secretary Fudge’s guidance encouraging communities to prioritize people in reentry for the 70,000 ARP Emergency Housing Vouchers available nationwide.
Resources
National Conference of State Legislatures: The ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Fund Allocations Dashboard breaks down state allocations by category.
Cohort Opportunity: A free 6-week cohort will provide an understanding of what constitutes a livable community for people of all ages, highlight specific factors of livability and their positive impact on economic development and growth, and provide an overview of the federal funding opportunities available through ARPA. Applications are due Monday, March 21st.
Please reach out with questions and ideas regarding federal funding in our region. Also let me know if you have any news or resources you’d like us to share. Allison