American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA)
In March of 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was passed by the United States Congress and signed into the law. ARPA provided $1.9 trillion dollars to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country. This included providing funding directly to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to address the impact of the pandemic in their communities. The City of Chelsea
received approximately $40 million in ARPA from the state and federal governments.
Community Fund Allocation Process
Chelsea received $40 million dollars in ARPA funds in 2021. Of that, $25 million was used to offset City revenue lost due to the pandemic. The City elected to use the remaining $15 million to create a
Community Fund to support initiatives and priorities developed by the community to address priority needs in Chelsea. To frame the process, six priority areas were identified for further exploration and understanding through data collection efforts.
A participatory community process, led by a Community Advisory Committee, was implemented to inform the allocation strategies. To inform the allocation process and Advisory Committee decision
making and to further understanding of the six priority areas and their impact on Chelsea residents, data were collected through key informant interviews and focus groups, a review of secondary data, and a resident survey.
ARPA Committee members
- Roy Avellaneda - Councilor At-Large, President
- Roseann Bongiovanni - GreenRoots
- Jenny Camacho - Small Business Owner
- Susana Carella - Resident
- Joan Cromwell - Chelsea Black Community
- Richelle Cromwell - Community Action Program Inter-City
- Cara Cogliano - Chelsea Community Connections Coalition
- Richard Gordon - Small Business Owner
- Rosa Lopez - Resident
- Rafael Mares - TND
- Alice Murillo - Bunker Hill Community College
- Paul Nowicki, Chelsea Chamber of Commerce
- Mohamud Qasim - Resident
- Edgard Romero - Resident and Small Business Owner
- Mayra Romero - Resident and Small Business Owner
- Amanda Rosario - Resident
- Scott Scherffenberg, ROCA
- Todd Taylor - District 1 Councilor
- Gladys Vega - La Colaborativa
- Wendy Velazquez - Resident
ARPA Community Engagement Schedule
ARPA Community Engagement Schedule - Updated on 6/21/2022 | ||
Action Item |
Dates |
Documents & Video |
Chelsea Cable Show |
Sept. 28, 2021 | City Manager Update Recording |
Community Advisory Committee #1 |
Sept. 29, 2021 |
|
Chelsea City Council Meeting |
Oct. 28 |
City Council Sub-Committee Recording |
Focus Group A - Housing |
by November |
|
Focus Group B - Food Security |
by November |
|
Focus Group C - Small Business |
by November |
|
Focus Group D - Workforce Development |
by November |
|
Community Advisory Committee #2 |
November 3rd, 2021 |
|
Community Leader Interviews |
Prior to each topic date |
Key Informant Interview Notes |
Focus Group E - Environment & Open Space |
by November |
|
Focus Group F - Mental & Behavioral Health |
by November |
Combined Focus Group Notes |
Community Advisory Committee Meeting #3 |
November 17th, 2021 |
|
Community Advisory Committee Meeting #4 |
Dec. 1st , 2021 |
|
Resident Survey |
Closed |
|
Community Advisory Committee Meeting #5 |
Jan 19, 2022 |
|
Community Advisory Committee Meeting #6 |
Feb 2, 2022 |
Chelsea Community Meeting #6 (Presentation) |
Community Advisory Committee Meeting #7 |
Feb 16, 2022 |
|
City Council Sub - Committee on Conference Meeting |
March 15, 2022 |
|
Public Meeting |
March 2, 2022 |
Public meeting (Recording) |
Community Advisory Committee Meeting #8 | March 16, 2022 | Chelsea Community Meeting #8 (Recording) |
Community Advisory Committee Meeting #9 | March 30, 2022 | Chelsea Community Meeting #9 (Recording) |
Final Allocation Plan |
Eligible Uses of Funding
ARPA funds provide a substantial infusion of resources to help turn the tide on the pandemic, address its economic fallout and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery. Eligible uses of ARPA funding include:
- Supporting urgent COVID-19 response efforts to continue to decrease the spread of the virus and bring the pandemic under control
- Replacing lost revenue to strengthen support for vital public services and help retain jobs
- Providing assistance to small businesses, households, and hard-hit industries and communities hardest hit by COVID-19
- Investing in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.
For more information about how funds can be used, go to the US Department of the Treasury Quick Reference Guide.
City of Chelsea Expected Funding
The City of Chelsea expects to receive a total of $40,323,106 from the American Rescue Plan Act over the course of the next year.
- $28,459,494 – provided directly by Governor Baker from the State ARPA allocation based upon the disproportionate impact of COVID in Chelsea.
- $4,154,295 – direct payment to the City from ARPA.
- $7,709,317– the City of Chelsea’s per capita share of funds distributed by ARPA to Suffolk County, which no longer functions as a county government.
If you have questions, please email lalvarez@chelseama.gov or call 617-466-4209.