Federal Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to Support Local Community Needs
(Concord, N.H.) – Ninety-nine percent of New Hampshire’s municipalities have agreed to receive the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provided by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The funds will assist New Hampshire towns, cities and counties address critical needs that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and provide an opportunity to make strategic investments to support the long-term resiliency of our communities.
New Hampshire’s federal delegation, led by Senator Shaheen – a lead negotiator of the COVID-19 response legislation – helped secure these flexible funds for state and local governments to leverage in meeting their unique needs as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I fought to secure federal funding in the American Rescue Plan to assist our cities and towns because we all know how brutal the pandemic has been and continues to be for local governments. This federal relief will help ensure municipalities can stave off budgetary shortfalls and continue to provide critical services, like support for frontline workers or to address other local projects,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m encouraged by the participation of so many Granite State communities to take advantage of these federal resources, which will play an important part in getting to the other side of the COVID-19 crisis. I’ll continue to work across the aisle in the Senate to deliver the assistance New Hampshire needs recover.”
New Hampshire will receive a total of $1.4 billion in federal resources under the American Rescue Plan Act, including the $112 million of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to be distributed directly to communities designated as non-entitlement units of government. In the Granite State, that includes 229 cities and towns. As-of the August 18 deadline, 226 municipalities – 99% of the 229 eligible local governments – had applied to accept these funds from the Governor’s Office for Relief and Recovery.
Outreach and technical assistance from Senator Shaheen’s office and organizations including the New Hampshire Municipal Association, New Hampshire Association of Counties, Community Development Finance Authority, New Hampshire’s Regional Planning Commissions and the Governor’s Office for Relief and Recovery were key to achieving this level of engagement from cities and towns. The cities of Manchester, Nashua, Portsmouth, Rochester and Dover, as well as New Hampshire’s 10 counties, have received an allocation directly from the federal government. Many New Hampshire counties are engaging with local cities and towns regarding regional plans and opportunities to coordinate efforts.
American Rescue Plan Act funds are an opportunity for municipalities to consider investments in areas critical to the long-term resiliency of their communities, including infrastructure, affordable housing, downtown revitalization and economic development efforts. New Hampshire communities can consider making investments in the following areas:
- Aid to individuals or households to address food, housing or other financial insecurities;
- Assist small businesses in the community;
- Develop or redevelop affordable housing;
- Invest in broadband and water / sewer infrastructure;
- Replace lost public sector revenue; and
- Support public health expenditures.
Continued collaboration and partnerships across local, regional, state and nonprofit efforts will be key in maximizing the impact of these one-time resources. The New Hampshire Municipal Association, New Hampshire Association of Counties and Community Development Finance Authority will continue to support local and county governments as they undertake planning efforts for leveraging American Rescue Plan Act funds and accessing additional state, federal and private resources.
The Governor’s Office for Relief and Recovery have brought on a technical assistance provider to support municipalities in the deployment of these resources, including understanding eligible uses and reporting requirements as outlined by the U.S. Treasury. Up-to-date information and resources can also be found on the NHMA ARPA Information Page and the NH Association of Counties website.
New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA)
NHMA is a non-profit, non-partisan membership association established in 1941. It is a member-funded, member-governed, and member-driven association that works to strengthen New Hampshire cities and towns and enhance their ability to serve the public. Through the collective power of cities and towns, NHMA promotes effective municipal government by providing education, training, advocacy and legal services. All 234 cities and towns are members of NHMA.
NH Association of Counties
The New Hampshire Association of Counties represents the interests of county government in New Hampshire. The organization is a state-wide association, which includes the 30 elected county commissioners as well as all elected county officials and the professionals and staff who run county government in each of the ten counties. The Association’s activities include: providing training programs, supporting intergovernmental relationships with state and municipal officials, advocating on behalf of county government and county taxpayers before the New Hampshire General Court and the Governor and Council, and acting as a clearinghouse for information and best practices which relate to the efficient operation of county government in New Hampshire. For more information please visit www.nhcounties.org.
About the Community Development Finance Authority
The Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) is a statewide nonprofit public authority focused on maximizing the value and impact of community development, economic development and clean energy initiatives throughout New Hampshire. The organization leverages a variety of financial and technical resources, including the competitive deployment of grant, loan and equity programs. Those resources include New Hampshire state tax credits, federal Community Development Block Grant resources and the CDFA Clean Energy Fund. For more information about CDFA and its programs visit www.nhcdfa.org or call 603-226-2170.
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Contact: Melissa Latham, CDFA (mlatham@nhcdfa.org / (603) 717-9107)
