Hamilton County Commissioners will visit with senior members of the Biden-Harris Administration at the White House on Wednesday, September 7, for the Communities in Action Series: Building a Better Ohio. Commission President Stephanie Summerow Dumas, Vice President Alicia Reece, and Commissioner Denise Driehaus will join government leaders from across Ohio to discuss the impact of federal recovery investments, including the American Rescue Plan, on local communities.
Hamilton County received $158 million in flexible aid from the American Rescue Plan Act – State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-SLFRF). Commissioners divided the funding into four strategic buckets: public health, infrastructure, county finances, and addressing the negative economic impacts of the pandemic.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Hamilton County Commissioners have been a driving force in ensuring that no tool or resource is left untapped. From creating the 513Relief Bus that brings resources directly to residents, to developing grant programs and forging strong partnerships with community leaders, nonprofits, businesses, and healthcare providers - the Commissioners have worked nonstop to ensure a strong, equitable and sustainable recovery.
HAMILTON COUNTY’S ARPA BUDGET
| PROGRAM | BUDGET |
| Strengthening Public Health Systems | |
| Addressing Emergent Needs and Community Resiliency | $6,000,000 |
| Strengthening Behavioral Health | $8,000,000 |
| Relocation of CPD Gun Range | $5,000,000 |
| Vulnerable Community Outreach (including Mobile Tech Bus) | $5,000,000 |
| Vaccine Incentives | $500,000 |
| Strengthening County Finances and Departments | |
| Revenue Replacement | $32,000,000 |
| Capital Improvements - Satellite Office | $2,500,000 |
| Premium Pay | $2,400,000 |
| County Staffing/Admin Costs | $1,500,000 |
| EMA Operations | $1,000,000 |
| Addressing Negative Impacts | |
| Affordable Housing Production ($8M directed to re-entry, disabled, senior housing) | $25,500,000 |
| Affordable Housing Preservation ($8M to renovations; $2M for home repair program) | $10,000,000 |
| Homelessness Prevention | $5,000,000 |
| Mortgage Assistance | $5,000,000 |
| Workforce Development | $9,500,000 |
| Non-Profit Assistance | $7,590,331 |
| Small Business Assistance Grants | $7,794,216 |
| Hospitality Assistance | $2,000,000 |
| Arts and Cultural Assistance | $2,000,000 |
| Small Business Back Office Support | $1,500,000 |
| Enhancing Community Infrastructure | |
| Broadband | $10,000,000 |
| Sewer / Stormwater | $9,000,000 |
| TOTAL | $158,784,547 |
Commissioners are also expected to strategize and leverage County interests with leaders from across the state to maximize the positive local impact from the Inflation Reduction Act that tackles climate change and prescription drug costs. They will also speak to Biden-Harris Administration officials about rebuilding local economies with the CHIPS and Science Act, and the bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that aims to create jobs for Ohio’s families.
In addition to ARPA funded programs, the federal government provided Ohio's state and local governments $498 million in Emergency Rental Assistance Program funding (ERAP) that helped over 200K Ohio renters and their families. In Hamilton County, under the Board of County Commissioners, 11,000 renters and their families avoided eviction after receiving assistance from $35.5 million in ERAP funds.
Original source can be found here.
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