Battle Creek Times

$15,660,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding will support programs to serve Flint residents

Beginning Monday, January 23, eligible organizations will be able to apply for funds to administer community grant programs that will serve Flint residents in three priority program areas: housing and blight elimination, public health, and economic development.

“This is a wonderful and exciting time for our community as our plans come to fruition and we begin to implement the priority programs that residents have identified,” Mayor Sheldon Neeley said.

This application is for eligible nonprofits, businesses, and community-based organizations that will administer programs—for example, home repair and improvement, or youth job training. Flint residents will then receive services through those programs, which will be widely publicized to ensure that they are accessible.

Through this application process, the City of Flint will identify Flint-based organizations who have subject matter expertise, as well as the capacity and experience to deliver services to Flint residents in an equitable way.

All official information about the ARPA Community Grant Programs application will be available at cityofflint.com/ARPA on Monday, January 23. Residents are encouraged to visit the website to learn about Flint’s ARPA funding plan.

“We are urging residents to be vigilant and make sure that they are getting accurate information about ARPA funding,” Mayor Neeley said. “ARPA represents a transformative investment in our community, and I encourage Flint residents to stay engaged on this topic.”

The City of Flint administration has developed the official ARPA community grant application alongside many partners, including compliance consultants Ernst & Young, city council members, and philanthropic partners who have provided technical assistance.

A total of $15,660,000 will be available for community grant programs as part of Flint’s allocation of ARPA funding. Additional economic development grant programs will be forthcoming. This funding is a portion of the $94.7 million Flint was awarded under the federal aid program designed to help the nation recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

City of Flint ARPA allocations include:

$8.9 million for water relief for Flint residents, dispersed as $300 credits to all residential water customers.

$16 million for demolition of blighted and hazardous buildings

$3.25 million for redevelopment of Buick City brownfield by Ashley Capital

$2,776,075.46 for premium pay for essential workers

$2,173,634.27 for Miller Rd. water main upgrades

$500,000 for public safety recruitment incentives

$121,000 for Office of Public Health

$74,570 for speed humps in neighborhoods

$58,394.23 for blight removal equipment

$50,000 for witness protection program

Original source can be found here.