Boston's American Rescue Plan
Learn how the City of Boston is investing our federal state and local fiscal recovery funds in an equitable, effective, and transparent way.
More information regarding recent obligations and expenditures will be on this page by early February 2025 when the final 2024 quarterly report is published.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was passed by Congress in March 2021 to provide additional relief to address the continued impact of COVID-19 on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses. Receiving jurisdictions directed ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) toward programs based on local input, so that investments best serve local communities. For information about the Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, visit the US Treasury website.
Between August 2021 and October 2024, the City allocated funding across priority areas, as displayed below. The City of Boston received $558.7 million in ARPA funding from the US Treasury, which was committed by the end of 2024 and must be fully spent by the end of 2026.
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Overview
Use of Funds
- $241.9 million in unprecedented funding for safe, healthy, and affordable housing
- $95 million to ensure the stability of core City services
- $64.3 million to promote economic opportunity and inclusion
- $46.5 million to advance climate resilience and improve mobility
- $37.3 million to ensure an equitable public health response to the ongoing pandemic
- $26.4 million to support behavioral and mental health
- $26.3 million to strengthen arts and culture and activate our neighborhoods
- $17.7 million to focus on early education and childcare
- $3.2 million for program evaluation and equitable administration
Guiding Principals
The City of Boston set out clear guiding
principals for the use of these funds:
- Once-in-a-generation opportunity for transformative investments
- Jumpstart solutions to long-term challenges while recognizing that we have to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
- Focus on cross-departmental ideas that address equity, climate justice, jobs, and health
- Leverage additional public and private resources and prioritize financial sustainability beyond ARPA. BPS Sundays, now known as Boston Family Days, is an example of this.
- Incorporate public feedback from the Budget Listening Tour in Winter 2022 and the Let’s Go Better Campaign in Fall 2021
- Drive an equitable recovery for all Boston residents
City Council Allocations
$81.5 million Emergency Relief Package (July 2021)
$55 million FY22 Revenue Replacement (July 2021)
$8 million Fare Free Bus Expansion (November 2021)
$5 million Small Business Fund 2.0 Expansion (January 2022)
$40 million Revenue Replacement FY23 (June 2022)
$362.2 million Transformative Investments (July 2022)
$7 million Housing and Small Business Initiatives (October 2024)
Timeline
Notable Projects
Boston Family Days
Partially funded by ARPA, the Boston Family Days program provides students who live in Boston and their families free access to many of the City's world-class cultural institutions.
AOP
The Acquisition Opportunity Program (AOP) promotes housing affordability. As of January 2025, 54% of all investment in the program since 2016 came from ARPA, making the package transformative for Boston’s housing future.
SPACE Grants
The ARPA funded Supporting Pandemic Affected Community Enterprises (SPACE) Grant Program supports small businesses, with a priority for industries that were most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reports, Public Outreach, & Community Input
- September 13, 2021: Meeting slides (PDF)
- September 13, 2021: Visual Notes (PDF)
- October 2021: Meeting Slides - Local Food Access (PDF)
- October 22, 2021: Meeting Slides - Farmers Markets (PDF)
- October 22, 2021: Visual Notes - Farmers Markets (PDF)
- October 26, 2021: Meeting Slides - Urban Agriculture (PDF)
FAQs
How These Federal Funds May Be Used:
ARPA federal funds can be used to:
- support Boston’s public health response
- address negative economic impacts of the pandemic
- replace public sector revenue loss
- provide equity-focused services
- invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure
FAQs:
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a federal law that was signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021. The ARP focuses on supporting the most vulnerable communities and businesses. The law grants about $1.85 trillion in relief funding for individuals and local governments.
Boston received $558.7 million from the the American Rescue Plan. These are one-time funds that must be allocated by December 31, 2024 and spent by December 31, 2026.
Prior to ARPA, the federal government passed two COVID-19 relief packages. Boston received:
- over $160 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) in March 2020, and
- over $150 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act in December 2020.
All federal funds must be allocated by December 31, 2024 and spent by December 31, 2026. Any remaining funds must be returned to the U.S. Treasury.
An internal Equitable Recovery Coordinating Committee oversaw the allocation and disbursement of all ARPA funds. The Committee is composed of City Cabinet Chiefs, including the Chief Policy and Strategic Planning, the Chief of Equity and Inclusion, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Chief of Community Engagement. It has been informed by public feedback through the Let's Go Better ARPA Listening Tour in Fall 2021 and the FY23 Budget Listening Sessions.
The City of Boston must submit to the U.S. Treasury:
1. A quarterly project and expenditure report, and
2. An annual recovery plan performance report
As of the end of 2024, all ARPA funds have been allocated. For the latest news, please continue to check this website. which is updated frequently. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email recover@boston.gov.
News
Who's Involved:
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