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.
Where is Ramsey County investing affordable housing dollars? Find out below.
Upcoming Deadlines
HOME-ARP Allocation Plan: On Monday, April 11, 2022, Minnesota Housing published a Request for Proposals (RFP) inviting interested parties to submit proposals for the purpose of developing and executing a HOME-American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) Allocation Plan that will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for approval. The deadline for responses to the RFP has been extended to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
EDA’s Build to Scale: The deadline to apply for EDA’s FY22 “Build to Scale” program is June 13, 2022.
Grant Opportunity
US DOT Announces $1B Available in Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over the next 5 years. In fiscal year 2022 (FY22), up to $1 billion is available. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.
NOFO: The FY22 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Safe Streets and Roads for All grants is live on Grants.gov.
The deadline for applications is September 15, 2022
Webinar Series: Attend a “How to Apply” webinar
More coverage here.
News from MSP Cities and Counties
Minneapolis:
Mayor Jacob Frey joined other leaders to highlight $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding dedicatedto expand the urban tree canopy as part of the Green Minneapolis Climate Resiliency Initiative.
Minneapolis City Council members pitched their proposals for using remaining American Rescue Plan funding.
Ramsey County: The Board of Commissioners and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority approved an investment of $21.6 million into affordable housing developments. Here is a complete list of projects. More coverage is here.
Minnesota News
Bipartisan Deal: Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota’s top lawmakers struck a bipartisan deal to spend $8 billion of the state’s budget surplus over the next three years on tax cuts, infrastructure projects and new spending to address ongoing challenges from the coronavirus pandemic.
DEED: The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced grantee partners for the second round of the Main Street Economic Revitalization Program. This $80 million statewide economic redevelopment program, distributed through two rounds of funding, awards grants to partner organizations to establish programs within specific communities that will, in turn, fund economic development and redevelopment projects.
Minnesota Housing: Minnesota homeowners hurt financially by the pandemic can now apply for up to $35,000 in assistance for mortgage payments and other housing-related expenses through a new state program called HomeHelpMN. The program is funded with $109 million from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Governor's Council on Economic Expansion: The Council met on Monday, May 9th. Watch the recording of the meeting here. The next meeting will be May 23rd from 2 pm- 4 pm. Watch it here.
National News
IIJA aka BIL:
It’s been six months since the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed Congress on a strong bipartisan vote. This law finally broke the congressional logjam on infrastructure, which had been the subject of much debate and hand-wringing for years. Now, six months later, implementation of the IIJA is proceeding at a breakneck pace.
The White House released a map that shows how much Infrastructure Bill funding has been announced for work within states.
The White House: President Biden announced that $10 billion in American Rescue Plan funds have been committed to public safety – including at least $6.5 billion in State and Local funds committed by more than half of states and more than 300 communities across the country.
Broadband: The Biden administration on Friday made $45 billion in broadband funding from the bipartisan infrastructure act available to the states, emphasizing that they make sure any internet service that’s built is affordable not only to those with low incomes but to the middle class as well.
Housing: President Biden, as part of his effort to persuade Americans he’s trying to lower consumer costs, laid out a plan Monday to reduce home prices. The most significant initiative would give extra points for transportation dollars to states and localities that allow more multifamily housing in areas reserved for single-family homes.
Upcoming Webinars and Events
EDA: On May 25th at 12:00 CT as part of the EDA-funded Inclusive Recovery Initiative, New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) will be hosting a convening titled “Design Justice: Centering BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Communities During Strategic Planning.” Register here.
Federal Funds: The Federal Assistance e311 Program, a partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies and the United States Conference of Mayors, will be hosting a webinar on processes for selecting community programs to fund with state and federal dollars. Click here to join the webinar on Wednesday, May 25 at 1 p.m. CT (Meeting ID 860 9336 7121, Passcode 174382).
Past Recordings
Leveraging ARPA Funds to Prevent Violent Crime: Watch the recording from NACo from May 11th at 1:00 pm that featured a discussion with county leaders on how they have been using ARPA funds to reduce violence and strengthen communities.
Resources
Equity: Many local governments share a commitment to advancing racial equity, but struggle to produce measurable results for communities of color. Taking the initiative to embed racial equity into procurement processes is one tactic that local leaders can leverage to realize change. This resource was developed by the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab to highlight innovative ways local governments can deliver services more equitably by identifying and breaking down historical barriers.
(Highly recommended) - Local Infrastructure Hub: Bloomberg Philanthropies this week announced a new national program to ensure that all U.S. cities and towns can access federal infrastructure funding to drive local recovery, improve communities, and deliver results for residents. The new Local Infrastructure Hub, which draws on the expertise and resources of a tight coalition of partners, will help local leaders navigate and understand the nearly 400 available funding opportunities so that they can develop competitive and ambitious applications for federal dollars. More coverage here.
Have a great weekend, all!
Allison
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