Posted on 09/26/24
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - Sept. 26, 2024 - Baltimore identified as the third highest-performing jurisdiction in the U.S. utilizing federal funds from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to promote racial and economic equity, according to a new study.
The Institute of Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School examined 170 local governments and how they are leveraging federal recovery funds to advance and support equity in their communities.
The Institute’s ARPA Equity Assessments measure performance across six dimensions of equitable public investment: 1) overall equity focus; 2) application of equity tools and institutional infrastructure; 3) community engagement; 4) use of equitable labor practices; 5) breadth and depth of equity investments; and 6) investment transparency/accountability.
“Our study shows the positive impact and ripple effects of flexible federal recovery funds when anchored by clear equity guidelines,” Sarah Treuhaft, Director of Policy and Partnerships at the Institute, head of the Budget Equity Project, and report co-author, said.
The report reveals that Baltimore allocated 81 percent of $336.7 million in obligated funds towards equity-focused initiatives.
“Building an equitable city and tackling the intentional disinvestment that so many of our neighborhoods and residents have endured has been a cornerstone of my time as Mayor,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott.
Shamiah Kerney, Chief Recovery Officer of Mayor Scott’s Office of Recovery Programs, applauded the administration’s conduct towards ARPA funds.
“Since the inception of the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs, the Scott Administration has placed equity as one of the primary tenants of ARPA-funded projects for the historically marginalized and in areas in that have lacked investment,” said Kerney.
Nationwide, ARPA has provided cities and counties with $130 billion in flexible funding aimed at both pandemic relief and longer-term, transformational investments.
The federal recovery funds are part of Biden-Harris administration's broader equity policy, designed to direct resources to communities of color, Tribal communities, and low-income communities that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
In total, Baltimore received $641 million in ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). These investments are aimed at tackling both immediate and long-term challenges, particularly those related to racial and economic inequities heightened by the public health crisis.
ARPA-funded efforts include support for small businesses, Direct Financial Relief to individuals and families, and Housing and Homeless Services investments.
For example, the Housing Accelerator Fund is dedicating $17.1 million to the development of permanent supportive housing.
“The distribution of flexible ARPA recovery funds was part of an unprecedented fiscal response that included some direct investment in the productivity and wellbeing of the American people with some emphasis on historically excluded and disinvested communities,” said Dr. Darrick Hamilton, Founding Director of the Institute.