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BOSTON - Tuesday,
May 25, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey today announced that she has proposed a $50
million emergency relief plan to support an equitable recovery and
reopening for Boston residents, workers and small businesses, using funding
the City of Boston has received from the federal government following the
passage of the American Rescue Plan. As part of Mayor Janey’s commitment to
an equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, funding will be allocated
to City and community programs and initiatives, focused on public health,
the economy and resources for individuals hardest hit by the pandemic.
Filed with the Boston City Council, the funding will be available with its
passage. Boston expects to receive over $500 million through the American
Rescue Plan to support the City’s recovery from the pandemic through the
end of 2024, with millions in other federal funds going directly to our schools and rental relief efforts.
“I am pleased to
announce that, over the next five years, Boston will receive over $500
million in American Rescue Funding to support an equitable recovery from
the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Janey. “I look forward to working with
Council President Pro Tempore Matt O’Malley, Ways and Means Chairperson
Kenzie Bok, the Council’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee Chairperson Michael
Flaherty, and the rest of the members of the Boston City Council to address
the inequities that were here before COVID-19.”
The $50 million
emergency relief plan will focus on the following priority areas:
$10 million to
support public health response:
·
$7
million for COVID-19 response including mobile vaccine and testing
operations and outreach
·
$3
million for behavioral health and substance use, including funding for
opioid treatment and services
$10 million for
communities most impacted by COVID-19:
·
$5
million for investments in affordable housing and housing navigation
services
·
$4.6
million for acquisition of occupied buildings to prevent displacement
·
$400,000
for housing navigation assistance and stabilization services
·
$3.5
million for addressing health disparities and social determinants of
health
·
$2.5
million to tackle key gaps in social determinants of health, as outlined by
the Health Inequities Task Force
·
$1
million for community violence intervention programs
·
$1
million for supporting childcare and early learning initiatives
·
$500,000
for supporting language access, communications, and evaluation
$14.5 million to
address the economic impact of the pandemic on food access, housing, arts,
culture, and tourism:
·
$4
million for arts and culture, including $3 million for the creative economy
industry to help working artists reopen safely and $1 million to support
other projects and creative professionals across the city
·
$3.1
million for programs strengthening homeownership and supporting individuals
facing housing insecurity
·
$3
million for food access and equity, including initiatives to support
community-based solutions, expand local growing spaces, pilot an affordable
community supported agriculture (CSA) model, provide assistance with
applying to safety-net programs, and destigmatize utilization of food
resources
·
$2.4
million for expanding digital equity and access, including an initiative to
integrate digital literacy training into job training programs to meet
labor market needs
·
$1
million for basic needs assistance for families not eligible for previous
COVID-19 benefits
·
$1
million to expand reach of All-Inclusive Boston campaign and support the
tourism industry
$15.5 million for
small business relief:
·
$8
million to build on previous small business funds and create a new,
flexible grant fund designed to help small businesses cover expenses
related to their reopening, recovery, and growth
·
$7.5
million to meet existing demand for the Commercial Rental Relief Fund,
designed to stabilize small businesses and prevent commercial displacement
due to the pandemic
The allocation of
this immediate funding was guided by the City of Boston’s Equitable
Recovery Coordinating Committee (ERCC), which is being formed to ensure the
equitable and efficient coordination of stimulus resources for the short-
and long-term benefit of Boston residents, with an intentional focus on
those who have been hurt most by the pandemic. The ERCC is steered by City
leadership, with additional representation across City departments and
external stakeholders.
The ERCC will
continue to be informed by residents and community stakeholders. The $50
million emergency relief fund represents nearly 10 percent of the overall
$500 million federal investment that Boston expects to receive through
2024. The City of Boston will launch a citywide engagement process and work
with the people of Boston to program the remaining federal funds. | 
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