American Rescue Plan Act Spending Plan
Total Spending Plan: $34,637,000
Services for Impacted Families
After School Programs ($168,000). Three after school program sites offered Monday through Thursday. The sites would be an expansion of the agreement with Burbank Housing to offer programming on their properties.
Expanded Recreation Programs ($210,000). Increase Summer Recreation Sensation sites from four to six locations and total capacity from 500 to 750 underserved youth. Activities include sports, art, science, games, dance, field trips, swimming, and other enriching activities.
Guaranteed Basic Income ($1,000,000). With an interest in leveraging the new $35 million State program, the County of Sonoma is seeking to establish their own UBI program prioritizing the same eligible population as the State (foster youth phasing out of the system and pregnant women) to be better positioned to apply for ongoing, sustainable State funding. Should Santa Rosa allocate $960,000 in ARPA funds toward this effort, the City funds would be added to the County pool but restricted for use toward Santa Rosa residents. Implementation of the program would be managed by the County’s Human Services Department, with the potential of a small administrative fee for that service.
Children’s Savings Account (Baby Bonds) ($1,575,000). The investment of ARPA dollars in the Children's Saving Account (CSA) is a transformational investment into the future of qualifying 2–5-year-olds in the City of Santa Rosa. The program will build on an existing CSA program called First 5 Sonoma Futures offered by First 5 Sonoma County. The First 5 Sonoma Futures program currently provides the opportunity for each family to earn up to $400 for each of their children ages 2-5 through an initial investment and incentivized amounts for program participation, including support in financial literacy, school readiness, and parent engagement, all supporting a college-going culture and understanding all post-secondary learning options. The City ARPA investment would match those investments allowing each qualified child to earn up to $800 through the program's life.
The $1,575,000 in ARPA funds being requested will be used to match the investment for the 2- 5-year-olds and their family. Currently, First 5 Sonoma County leverages First 5 Family Resource Centers to engage and assist families in opting into First 5- owned 529 college savings accounts for their children and establish a parent-owned 529 college savings account through ScholarShare 529. City funds will be restricted for use within City limits and focused on qualifying families residing in QCTs. 5% of the request will go to administrative support with the named partner.
Roseland Community Center ($10,000,000)
Construction of Roseland Community Center would provide a publicly owned Community Center in Roseland which would ensure a culturally safe space and sense of belonging, would reflect the voices of the community in the design process, represent an equitable investment in the City infrastructure for the newly annexed Roseland, and provide more opportunities for the City's youth and elders.
Youth Immigration Attorney ($100,000). This funding would provide resources for the Secure Family Fund, through Legal Aid, for an immigration attorney specializing in ensuring due process for unaccompanied children and other children who were the victims of crime or have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by a parent. It is virtually impossible for children to navigate the U.S. immigration system alone.
Services for Unhoused Individuals
Safe Parking Program with Wrap-around Services ($2,000,000). Wrap-around services are part of pilot Safe Parking Program; 24/7 operations; 25-50 spaces. Provides a safe space for unhoused individuals to park their vehicles, sleep overnight, and receive basic sanitation and wrap-around services.
Homeless Services Budget ($9,455,000). Provide assistance to unhoused individuals through third party providers.
Samuel Jones Hall Capital Project ($2,000,000). Capital projects to include bathrooms for SJH Annex homeless shelter. Work will include both internal and external improvements.
Behavioral Health Services
inRESPONSE Mental Health Response Team ($3,979,000). Provides trained civilian response to calls for service involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis or those under the influence. Currently a one-year pilot program is in place for $1.1M (10 hrs/day, 7 days/wk.) Additional funding would be for 24/7 program.
Services to Disproportionately Impacted Businesses
Small Business Tenant Improvement Grants ($1,000,000). Designed to support investment for commercial retail buildings with storefront businesses, the primary goal of the Tenant Improvement Program is to encourage re-tenanting of vacant sites to encourage economic development and avoid or reduce blight by enhancing the physical appearance and commercial viability of storefront businesses. This is an incentive and enabling program offering matching grants for improvements of commercial buildings within QCTs, particularly those that are or have been recently vacant. This is meant for business owners who are tenants only, though on a case-by-case basis, property owners who are opening a new business in their formerly vacant property may also be considered for eligibility. Business owner applicants should have a minimum of 3 years remaining on their lease and provide a letter of approval from the property owner.
Childcare Support Program ($2,900,000). The City’s Childcare Support Program was established with $2m in 2020 to stabilize the city’s childcare businesses through COVID, a time during which providers were permanently closing in unprecedented numbers. The program was created to establish a 3-legged base of support focused on access and affordability, facility needs (including rehabilitation and development), and provider resources and wages. Of the original, pre-ARPA funds provided, $600.000 was used for operating grants to successfully stabilize and keep the businesses open or to reopen and to train and assist new providers to open their own sites or work within existing sites. The remaining $1.4m establishes the no-interest revolving loan tenant improvement Childcare Facility Fund Program, the development of which is nearing completion and will be administered for a small fee through First 5.
The $2.9m ARPA funds being requested will add to this pool but will be administered as grants and will include an emergency fund component to provide faster, easier access to funds to address catastrophic facility events as a result of flooding or other unanticipated emergencies. City funds will be restricted for use within City limits and focused primarily in QCTs.
ARPA Administration ($250,000). Provides consultant assistance for program eligibility review, assistance with quarterly reporting, research, and other compliance guidance for the use of ARPA funds.
Attachment 1