Democratic Mayors Association Statement on the Second Anniversary of the American Rescue Plan Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today marks the second anniversary of President Joe Biden signing the historic American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law, giving relief to millions of working families and communities and aiding our country in building a more equitable recovery from the pandemic. Over the past two years, ARPA has made transformative impacts on housing, homelessness, public safety, transportation, workforce development, child poverty, health care, broadband, and so much more.
Celebrating the historic funding and investments designated to cities, the Democratic Mayors Association board released the following statement to mark the second anniversary of the American Rescue Plan Act:
“The American Rescue Plan has been and will continue to be transformational for Richmond. We have allocated $81M toward serving our children and families, including the construction of four new community centers in underserved areas and creating new childcare slots, as well as $20M for affordable housing, $5M to create the city’s first ever Health Equity Trust Fund, and $1.5M towards implementing our Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Framework, which includes establishing a Positive Youth Development Fund,” said Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney.
“Two years in, the American Rescue Plan is still having an enormous impact here in San Diego. I am so thankful for the leadership of President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Congressional Democrats for being champions for America’s cities when we needed it most. Whether it’s the rental assistance that helped keep 18,000 San Diego families in their homes or the relief funding that kept City workers employed and maintained the services residents expect - the positive impacts of this law will be felt long into the future,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
“Here in Scranton we are doing what we can to support our small businesses as they continue to face economic headwinds. Our ARPA Wage Boost program helps businesses with 50 or fewer employees meet the market for hourly wages, covering 100% of the gap between their wage and the industry standard in the first year, splitting the amount in the second year, and counting on the business to support the full wage increase in the third year and beyond,” said Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti.
“Over the course of the pandemic, Madison completely transformed our approach to unsheltered homelessness. Using ARPA dollars, we provided larger and more modern shelters for women, men and families experiencing homelessness and created the city’s first urban campground with Pallet shelters for people who will not use congregate shelters. As a result, unsheltered homelessness in Madison is down 65%,” said Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.
“The American Rescue Plan Act has been a lifeline for so many recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. On the very morning of its second anniversary, San Antonio's City Council approved allocating additional ARPA funds to support mental health care access, youth development and senior care services, and small business support. San Antonio is stronger for the administration's efforts in ensuring we recover both quickly and equitably,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
“Thanks to the leadership of President Biden, Vice President Harris and Congressional Democrats, ARPA funds represent a once-in-a-lifetime investment in Cleveland’s future. Our city is focusing on the building blocks of a stronger tomorrow: our kids, our workers, and our civic fabric. It’s this kind of catalytic investment in critical initiatives that will ensure Cleveland thrives for generations to come,” said Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb.
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