Toward an Equitable Recovery: An Analysis of ARPA Funds to Metropolitan Cities

Analysis of ARPA Funds to Metropolitan Cities - an Equitable Distribution?

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) delivered $65.1 billion of direct federal aid to all cities, towns and villages across the country through the Coronavirus State and Local Government Fiscal Relief Fund (SLFRF) -helping local governments invest in critical infrastructure, protect the health and safety of residents, and provide aid to workers, families and businesses as they continue to recover from the pandemic.

Guidance from the Biden Administration has urged recipients to spend grant funds in ways that address longstanding racial disparities, inequities and disproportionate harm caused or exacerbated by the pandemic. To better understand the extent to which SLFRF funds provide cities with the opportunity to bridge these equity gaps, NLC analyzed whether communities with higher levels of unemployment, COVID-19 fatality and poverty received greater allocations per resident. This report focuses on metropolitan cities.