The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law by the Biden Administration in 2021. This legislation is meant to address the negative economic and health effects that were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here at Community Solutions, we have shared our policy asks related to ARPA and what we hope these funds will...
Digital inclusion is one of ten advocacy areas the Greater Cleveland American Rescue Plan Coalition’s (GCARP Coalition) focus. On October 26th, the GCARP Coalition hosted a power hour conversation about digital inclusion. This discussion was an opportunity for community members to hear from experts in the technology and digital inclusion space about how they are...
The Center for Community Solutions and Greater Cleveland American Rescue Plan Coalition (GCARP Coalition) invites applications from non-profits that plan to engage in advocacy work related to pandemic recovery in Greater Cleveland. Grants will be up to $5,000, and the first round of awards will be made in Fall, 2022. Applications are due by 5:00pm...
Housing, economic recovery, early childhood education, and domestic violence relief were among the top initiatives proposed by the Bibb Administration to Cleveland City Council in a Caucus meeting on August 29. The city now faces some big decisions about how best to deploy these funds. Council President Blaine Griffin emphasized at the beginning of the...
What does civic input look like? For some, it means open dialogue between decision makers and the public. For others, it means access to platforms that can elevate the voices of citizens. One could also suggest that it means broadening the public sphere to increase voices that are traditionally excluded. In a large sense, the...
The pandemic emerged as a new public health crisis, but it has also revealed and exacerbated longstanding problems in our community beyond public health. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) offers a chance to both respond to the direct impacts of the pandemic and make system change that positions Greater Cleveland for a true recovery....
On Monday, June 27, Cleveland City Council met for a Caucus Meeting that lasted about three and a half hours to discuss two agenda items related to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that are in the city’s coffers. Because the meeting was a Caucus Meeting, no legislation was formally introduced; rather, the meeting...
In May, 2022, Mayor Justin Bibb unveiled his priorities and process for maximizing the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds through what he dubbed “Mayor Bibb’s Rescue & Transformation Plan.” As part of my work leading the Greater Cleveland American Rescue Plan Coalition, I wanted to dive more deeply into what the process...
Cuyahoga County calculated a revenue loss of $264 million in 2020, according to a presentation by Maher Duessel, the County’s consultant advising on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Representatives from Maher Deussel presented at County Council’s May 16 Finance and Budgeting Committee meeting and shared that according to their calculations, the total actual revenue...
