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While the Covid-19 pandemic has presented the city with a number of unprecedented challenges, it has also resulted in an influx of federal funding under the American Rescue Plan Act. An up-to-date breakdown of these dollars shows how the portion of the funds managed by the city’s Economic Development Department is spent based on the direction of the city council’s spending limit.
In a memo to the council on Thursday, Chief Economic Recovery Officer Veronica Briseño presented a status report on the first aid allocation received in May. The city expects a second federal grant in May 2022.
The Homelessness Council ($ 106.7 million) and Rental Assistance ($ 35.3 million) are administered by the Homeless Services Bureau and the Housing and Planning Department, respectively.
First and foremost is the Community Navigator Program, a federal initiative to support small businesses, creative professionals and civil society groups. On this front, EDD is finalizing a call for proposals to potential contractors to provide a range of services to small businesses, from technical support to marketing and outreach support. EDD expects to publish the tender by September.
Working with Central Health, EDD is completing the scope and schedule for planning and building the infrastructure for the Colony Park Sustainable Community Health Center in northeast Austin, an area disproportionate to health from the pandemic.
Childcare and early childhood education are also getting a boost. EDD and Austin Public Health are jointly managing the $ 8.5 million allocated this year for a wide range of programs in the expectation that Travis County is looking to partner with the city for additional dollars.
As food security and access to food issues become more visible during the pandemic, $ 3 million has been allocated to address these issues. EDD joins the Sustainability and Public Health Office to develop a framework that includes $ 2 million for emergency food needs, $ 500,000 for regional food system planning, and an additional $ 500,000 to support at least one community-owned or community controlled grocery to get business going.
The city and county are partnering to invest in staff development to help meet the cost of community partner contracts, train residents for careers in healthcare, and train members of the creative community in areas from media production to content creation.
Another human resource development initiative focuses on the creative sector, an effort that, according to Briseño’s memorandum, is still taking shape and that is widely supported by the city’s art commission.
As expected, the number of applications from nonprofit arts and cultural organizations requesting one-time grants of $ 20,000 far exceeded the $ 2 million available funding. The city signed a contract with the Austin Better Business Bureau as a third party administrator, as well as the Austin Revitalization Authority and Mission Capital to assist with the application process. A scoring matrix was used to select applicants.
With the federal funds, EDD will spend the next two years launching programs and services for artists, musicians, and related organizations, and in fiscal year 2022 will spend $ 10 million on arts, $ 6.5 million on music, and $ 4.21 million To provide US dollars for both sectors.
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