The American Rescue Plan Act and Your City

On March 11, 2021, the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund established under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden to assist in the economic recovery and negative health impacts posed by the COVID-19 Pandemic and ongoing recession.

The City of Lorain received $32,491,586.00 through the SLFRF-ARPA. There were two disbursement rounds from the Department of Treasury. The first round was disbursed May 2021, and the second round was disbursed earlier this year. The funds must be committed by December 31, 2024, and be spent by December 31, 2026.

What can ARPA funds be used for?
The Final Rule, released by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, states that ARPA funds can be utilized under the following criteria:

• Public Health
• Negative economic impacts
• Services to disproportionately impacted communities
• Premium pay
• Water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure
• Revenue replacement

Asking Our Community
Following the outlined eligible uses, Mayor Bradley and his Administration issued a Community Survey through Zencity. The survey was conducted from July 19, 2021 through September 13, 2021. The contents of the survey included 12 closed-ended and 1 open-ended question.

The purpose of the survey was to gain insight on what type of capital improvements and assistance residents would find most beneficial. City of Lorain residents were asked to rank the 10 proposed uses of ARPA funds. The 10 proposed uses are as follows:

1. Street crime
2. Water and wastewater
3. Housing repair
4. Down-payment assistance
5. Housing assistance
6. Sidewalk repair
7. Small business support
8. Educational scholarships
9. Recreational facilities
10. Internet access

As a result from the community survey, residents provided feedback assigning the highest priority as street crime and the lowest priority as educational scholarships to families impacted by COVID-19. Using the data from the survey, the City of Lorain created the City of Lorain Recovery Plan, outlining how the City will use ARPA funds to strengthen and stabilize our economy.

Social Equity
As part of the City of Lorain's Recovery Plan, 7 Core Principles within the lens of social equity have been identified. These principles are eligible as determined by the Final Rule and have been developed based on the community survey, various studies, plans, and other data-driven reports geared towards assisting in the economic recovery of Lorain.

Social equity is defined as impartiality, fairness, and justice for all people in social policy. Social equity evaluates systemic inequalities to ensure everyone in a community has access to the same opportunities and desired outcomes.

The City of Lorain's 7 Core Principles

1. Budget Stabilization and Administrative Expenses
2. Digital Inclusion
3. Public Safety
4. Neighborhood Stabilization
5. Rebuilding Lorain's Housing Stock
6. Upgrading Lorain's Infrastructure
7. Investing in Redevelopment

The City of Lorain's Recovery Plan addresses the physical and environmental barriers currently impacting the community due to COVID-19, and carefully outlines goals and solutions. You can learn more about the City of Lorain Recovery Plan by visiting our website: https://www.cityoflorain.org/397/Permits-Publications-Maps or by clicking the link in the Supporting Documents section of this page.

We are excited to implement economic recovery to the City of Lorain through ARPA!