News Flash

Office of Communications

Posted on: August 8, 2022

$200M in American Rescue Plan Funds Invested– More to Come

Year-end Report Illustrates County Support for Pandemic Recovery

Maricopa County has been the fastest-growing county in the nation for the past four years for a reason: a high quality of life. However, with the community facing record-high inflation on the heels of a pandemic, County leaders knew they had to act quickly to expand support for those facing hardship. And act they have, directing more than $200 million into programs and services to serve individuals, families, and businesses. A year-end report, just sent to the U.S. Treasury Department, details how Maricopa County used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to improve lives.

"With the influx of federal recovery funds—first through the CARES Act and now through the American Rescue Plan Act—our ability to help those who truly need it is greater than ever," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates, District 3. "County employees rose to the occasion with efficient systems and new programs— earning national recognition along the way."

Here are some highlights of what Maricopa County has accomplished by investing more than $200 Million in ARPA funds.

HOUSING

From March 2021 to June 2022, the emergency rental and utility assistance program assisted more than 8,700 unique households with 51,555 months of rental payments and 55,913 months of utility payments.
Our staff reached out to 13,348 people with incomplete rental/utility assistance applications, and as a result, 4,011 people who otherwise would not have received assistance did.
Maricopa County invested $83.3 million to address homelessness and has committed another $65 million to address the shortage of affordable housing.

Chairman Bill Gates believes "a six-figure salary shouldn't be the only path to a clean home in a safe place. These are investments that will pay long-term dividends in Maricopa County."

SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT

The small business resilience program served a geographically and demographically diverse array of businesses, administering more than $30 million in grants to 1,354 small or micro-sized businesses.

NONPROFIT SUPPORT

332,443 individuals received life-enhancing services due to the county's nonprofit assistance program.
The Board allocated $1.3 million in ARPA funds to local food banks, resulting in 2.4 million pounds of nutritious food to support 40,413 people who didn't know where they would get their next meal.
Maricopa County spent $2.2 million to cover funding gaps for trauma-informed domestic violence shelters.

JOB TRAINING AND PLACEMENT

Using ARPA funding, the County has partnered with local organizations to expand workforce development efforts significantly.
Maricopa County invested more than $30 million in workforce support to train and place job seekers and help staff participating employers.

COVID-19 RESPONSE

In direct response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, Maricopa County continues to direct federal dollars toward vaccines, testing, and personal protective equipment with a focus on traditionally underserved populations. One example of a program funded through ARPA is hotel isolation.

From July 2021 through June 2022, Maricopa County opened and operated a hotel that provided 15,450 people in Maricopa County with a safe place to isolate after testing positive for COVID-19.
Many people served by this program were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, including more than 13,400 refugees.

PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE

Maricopa County allocated more than $45 million to improve the region's healthcare infrastructure to improve access to healthcare for residents with low income and who are medically underserved or may be uninsured.
Additionally, through ARPA funding, we have been able to reopen 10 adult daycare centers and 18 senior centers across the region to support the health of these populations.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Maricopa County has planned long-term investments into life-enhancing services. More than $660M has been allocated to programs ranging from affordable housing to job training while allowing for flexibility with the remainder of ARPA funds. Maricopa County will continue to listen to the public and set the bar for best practices in distributing these funds.

Total allocations to date include: