City Provides American Rescue Plan Funds Two-Year Progress Report
Published on March 20, 2023
Recovery funds continue to benefit a wide range of businesses, groups
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird today said that American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, from legislation passed two years ago this month, continue to support critical economic recovery for community businesses and organizations. The City has assigned all $45.8 million in ARPA funds to qualified programs and has spent $21 million since the funding began in 2021.
“The investments my administration is making through our American Rescue Plan allocation have provided immediate, direct relief to support our local economic recovery,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird. “At the same time, we continue to invest in our families, our local businesses, and our workforce in ways that solidify Lincoln’s economic vitality and resilience far into the future.”
Joining Mayor Gaylor Baird at the news conference were Jill Bomberger, Community Action Partnership Early Head Start and Head Start Director, and Rachel McGill, Executive Chef and Co-owner, DISH restaurant.
Mayor Gaylor Baird highlighted several grant programs administered by the City, including:
- Rent and Mortgage Grant program – $6.8 million was provided to 263 businesses to cover rent/mortgage payments for up to 6 months or $60,000.
- Utility Grant program – $1.3 million was provided to 113 small businesses to cover water and electric payments for up to a year. Over 160 small businesses were impacted because landlords were able to qualify buildings which included multiple business tenants.
- Workforce Development – $12 million was allocated to six non-profit groups to offer workforce training or fund capital projects. The American Job Center $2.7 million relocation and renovation project used $1.5 million in ARPA funds. The Lincoln Action Program, which trains participants to obtain associate degrees and provides supportive services such as child care and transportation assistance, received $1 million.
- Tourism grants – $4.3 million provided to 14 local tourist non-profit organizations whose operations were impacted by the pandemic.
Bomberger said Community Action Partnership used the workforce development grant to support its On-the-Job Training Program, which enables participants to advance their careers in early childhood education.
“This program strengthens more than just participants’ careers. It also builds Community Action’s early childhood workforce and that of the Lincoln community,” Bomberger said.
McGill said the utility and rent grant programs helped keep her restaurant open by allowing her business to make staffing and service adjustments during the pandemic.
“It allowed us to know that we were going to be able to make ends meet at the end of the month because we didn’t have that heavy rent burden for a few months while we continued to pivot and work to rebuild,” McGill said.
Visit lincoln.ne.gov/ARP for more information on how ARPA funds are invested in the community.