We'll keep opportunities for you to provide feedback here.
July 27 - August 9 - Stage 1 Community Priorities Survey (This survey has now closed.)
This survey asks how you would send $77 million on your city. We want to know so we can align our draft spending plan with community priorities. Take the survey, share it with a friend and stay tuned for the results.
We'd appreciate you spreading the word. Here's a downloadable flyer.
September 21 - October 4 - Stage 2, Draft Plan Feedback
Take the survey here. (This survey has now closed.)
Or attend a public meeting:
9/28, 6:00 at Southside Community Center
9/30, 6:00 at Diversity Richmond, 1407 Sherwood Ave.
10/4, 6:00 at Boys and Girls Club Teen Center, 1830 Creighton Rd.
The American Rescue Plan
A Transformative Investment for Richmond
Use this page to learn more about the American Rescue Plan, a piece of federal legislation that will allow for huge investments in our city's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The page will be updated as the city moves along the project timeline.
Thank you for your patience throughout this process!
The final ARPA budget amendment has been introduced to Richmond City Council. You can read the plan in full here or explore it using the tabs below.
Final Consensus Plan for American Rescue Plan Act Funding
The final plan is a product of consensus reached between the administration and Richmond City Council.
The overall spending proposal includes:
- $32 million to build back affordable and healthy homes, including $20 million for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, meeting the goal established in the Equity Agenda and supported by City Council four years ahead of schedule.
- $5 million for a Health Equity fund, managed by the Richmond City Health District through an MOU with the city. The fund would support ongoing COVID-19 response, maternal and infant health, food access, mental and behavioral health, and more.
- $81 million invested in children and families, residents’ top priority in the first round of public engagement, with $2 million for childcare and $78 million for funding community centers including: T.B. Smith Community Center, Southside Community Center, Calhoun Center and a new center on the current site of Lucks Field.
The plan also includes $19 million to plan for and address climate and environmental challenges in the city, an $8.5 million investment in public safety, and $5.9 million in economic supports.
Changes implemented since announcement of the draft plan include:
- Shifting $3 million from lead line replacement to a dedicated CDFI revolving loan fund to support small businesses; and
- $1 million from storm water infrastructure (originally $13.5 M), the Family Crisis Fund, which will provide $1 million in immediate economic relief for families.
| Item | Total Allocation | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordable Housing Trust Fund | 20 M | 10 M | 10 M |
| Creighton Court Redevelopment | 6.8 M | 6.8 M | 0 |
| Highland Grove Redevelopment | 5.5 M | 5.5 M | 0 |
| Item | Total Allocation | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Equity Trust Fund | 5 M | 2.5 M | 2.5 M |
Please note: The American Rescue Plan Act is an opportunity to address underlying health inequities— and in particular, racism as a public health crisis, consistent with the City’s declaration of same — through the creation of a Health Equity Trust Fund to invest in high impact, equity-driven work, addressing challenges such as the ongoing COVID-19 response, vaccine incentives for children, mental and behavioral health, substance abuse disorder, access to care and health education, food access and security, maternal and infant health and underlying health conditions.
| Item | Total Allocation | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Childcare and parental support | 2 M | 2 M |
0 |
| Family Crisis Fund | 1 M | 1 M | 0 |
| Parks Master Plan | $500,000 | $500,000 | 0 |
| TB Smith Community Center | 20 M | 1 M | 19 M |
| Lucks Field Community Center | 20 M | 1 M | 19 M |
| Calhoun Center | 8 M | 1 M | 7 M |
| Southside Community Center | 16 M | 8 M | 8 M |
| James River Branch Trail Purchases and Development | 9 M | 4.5 M | 4.5 M |
| Crooked Branch Ravine Bridge | 1 M | 0 | 1 M |
| Texas Beach/North Bank Tower Repair | 2 M | 0 | 2 M |
| Property Acquisition for new Southside Parks | 1.5 M | 0 | 1.5 M |
| Item | Total Allocation | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small business grant application support and outreach | 1 M | 1 M |
0 |
| Facade and city beautification improvements | 2 M | 1.5 M |
0.5 M |
| OCWB Workforce Development and Community Ambassadors | 1.5 M | 1.5 M | 0 |
| CDFI Revolving Loan Fund | 3 M | 3 M | 0 |
| COVID-19 Administrative Response Reserve | 1.4 M | 1.15 N | $250,000 |
| Item | Total Allocation | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate Risk Assessment and Implementation | 1.54 M | $300,000 | 1.24 M |
| Lead Line Replacement | 1 M | 1 M | 0 |
| Stormwater | 12.5 M | 12.5 M | 0 |
| Healthy Homes | 4.2 M | 4.1 M | 0 |
| Item | Total Allocation | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gun violence prevention | 1.5 M | 1.5 M | 0 |
| First responders hazard pay | 5 M | 5 M | 0 |
| Enhanced lighting and cameras | 2 M | 1 M | 1 M |
Learn about Round 2 of Public Engagement - Gathering Feedback on the Draft Plan
The second engagement period has ended.
The city gathered feedback on the draft plan from September 21 to October 4 and reached 1,300 individuals - 51.4% through digital engagement and 48.6% through in-person or phone conversations. When given the chance to add or remove something from the plan, an average of 75% of responses per category elected not to; 25% of responses proposed changes.
Learn more about the feedback Richmonders gave the draft plan here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here you can find some helpful background information on the American Rescue Plan Act and how it affects our city. Don't see your question answered? Let us know! Email publicinfo@rva.gov.
The American Rescue Plan, or ARP, is an act of the United States Congress that grants recovery funds to many entities. This can include direct support, such as the Advanced Child Tax Credit, or payments to local and state governments to empower economic recovery.
You can learn more about the direct support in the American Rescue Plan here. Learn about the economic relief to localities and states here.
The City of Richmond will receive two $77 million payments from the federal government, a year apart, totaling $154 million.
It enables localities and states around the country to jump-start an equitable and healthy recovery through four main avenues:
- Responding to the negative public health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Providing premium pay to essential workers;
- Investing in water, sewer or broadband (internet) infrastructure; and
- Making up for revenue the city lost during the pandemic.
These are the boundaries the City of Richmond must operate within when deciding how to spend federal funds. They money can be spent through 2026.
Richmond Public Schools have received their own large amount of money from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. It's up to the Richmond School Board to choose how best to spend that money on RPS students.
Making Richmond the best place for children to grow up and achieve their full potential will require investments both inside and outside of the classroom, which is why Children and Families is a core priority area the city is considering in the first stage of engagement.
The City of Richmond wants to spend the money in a way that will most benefit the entire community in the wake of a life-changing pandemic. The city will rely on a number of values- and research-based documents, such as the Equity Agenda and Richmond 300 Master Plan, to guide the spending, in addition significant community input.
The first stage of community engagement was active July 27 to August 9. The survey asked residents to priorities four potential spending areas and programming within those spending areas.
Feedback from the first stage of community engagement will help the city create its draft spending plan.
Over the course of July 27 to August 9, the City of Richmond asked residents, "How would you spend $77 million on your city?"
The survey was available in Spanish and promoted to Spanish-speaking Richmonders through a collaboration with the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
We are aware some residents may not come across the opportunity through the news, social media or word of mouth. For those individuals, we worked with local businesses and gathering spots to post flyers with QR codes. Additionally, the city's Community Ambassadors worked closely with public housing residents to encourage participation.
The first stage of engagement ended August 9. Public feedback will be analyzed, made public and incorporated into the draft spending plan. Additional engagement opportunities will be posted on this page.
ARP Process Archive
Explore the process so far in detail using the following sections.
Get engaged!
Take the survey:
The survey was open October 4 at 11:59. It walked respondents through the main spending buckets for the federal money and asks how they rate the approach, what they might add, and what they might take away.
Attend a public meeting:
The city hosted in-person public meetings where attendees received an informational presentation, asked questions, and provided feedback on the draft plan. Meetings were dispersed throughout the city, and all were welcome at each:
- September 28 at 6:00 p.m. at Southside Community Center, 6255 Old Warwick Road
- September 30 at 6:00 p.m. at Diversity Richmond, 1407 Sherwood Avenue
- October 4 at 6:00 p.m. at Boys and Girls Club Metro Richmond Teen Center, 1830 Creighton Avenue
Build Back Better: The Draft Spending Plan for Richmond's American Rescue Plan Act Funding
We asked how the pandemic affected you and what you prioritize as our city and our nation recovers. You defined what "better" can look like in Richmond, and we designed the draft plan to get us there.
Click through the tabs below or view this presentation to explore how Richmond will build back healthier, stronger, safer, greener and more resilient, with an emphasis on strengthening affordable housing and serving the youngest among us.
First Round Public Engagement Results
From July 27 to August 9, 2021, the City of Richmond asked residents how the pandemic impacted them and what they prioritize as the city recovers.
Using a digital survey as the main way to collect data, the city reached residents through a variety of channels, including working with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Community Ambassadors to complete in-person surveys.
We've compiled and analyzed the results of this engagement. You can view them in PDF or in video presentation format, depending on how you prefer to learn.
For readers, view the presentation here.
For listeners, watch this video.