FLAGSTAFF, Ariz – On the third anniversary of the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the City of Flagstaff continues work on allocating ARPA funding to support a variety of local causes and initiatives.
Allocations of ARPA funds to date include $2.4M to congregate care, housing assistance, job training, mental health, and substance abuse services, $3M to education assistance and early learning programs, and $1.4M to local non-profits and small businesses. The information below provides a small sampling of some of the ARPA funding that was allocated by the City to its community partners.
In October of 2021, the Flagstaff City Council directed $1.9 million in ARPA Coronavirus Local and Fiscal Recovery Funds to be allocated to housing assistance projects to respond to the negative economic impacts of the pandemic. After an open call for applications for projects that improve community resilience, address disparities, create and preserve stable, affordable housing and prevent eviction, the City Council approved funding agreements for organizations and programs that support the goals identified in the City’s 10-Year Housing Plan.
In addition to the funds allocated to housing, the City of Flagstaff Economic Development Offices directly supported 65 individual businesses through ARPA-funded programs that provided $450,000 to help local businesses mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic. One small business owner commented, “It has been such a positive experience to receive such funding for my business and I cannot wait to see how I get to grow in the coming years thanks to this opportunity.”
The City continues to work to expend ARPA dollars to create meaningful and impactful change in the Flagstaff community.
