Subject:
Title
Approval, Re: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Emergency Rental Assistance funds from the United States Department of the Treasury (estimated allocation unknown at this time).
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Fiscal Impact:
FY20-21: There will be no impact to the General Fund. A separate Cost Center will be created to recognize and budget all American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Emergency Rental Assistance funds (no estimate currently available) as they are released by the United States Department of the Treasury.
FY21-22: There will be no impact to the General Fund. American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Emergency Rental Assistance funds will continue to be recognized as they are released by the United States Department of the Treasury utilizing the Cost Center that was created in FY20-21.
Dept/Office:
Housing and Human Services Department
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners authorize: (1) the County Manager to execute grant award terms (if required) for American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Emergency Rental Assistance through the United States Department of the Treasury upon approval of Risk Management and the County Attorney’s Office; (2) the Director of Housing and Human Services to act as the Authorized Official and complete the submission (electronically or otherwise) of the grant award terms including financial institution details and any other required documents; (3) the Housing and Human Services Department as the agency to be responsible for the administration, oversight, implementation, and monitoring of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Emergency Rental Assistance program; (4) the County Manager or designee to execute future Interlocal Agreements, contracts, amendments, and/or modifications related to American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Emergency Rental Assistance upon approval of Risk Management and the County Attorney’s Office; (5) the County Manager to approve all related budget change requests.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021. Included in the $1.9 trillion bill was an additional $21.6 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds. Based upon the language in the ARPA, the new ERA funds appear to follow the same rules and requirements as the initial ERA funds that were approved by the Board of County Commissioners on January 12, 2021.
The ARPA requires that the Unites States Department of the Treasury (Treasury) “… pay all eligible grantees not less than 40 percent of each such eligible grantee’s total allocation provided under subsection (b) within 60 days of enactment of this Act.” The remaining funds will be released utilizing an, as yet, undetermined procedure to be established by the Secretary of the Treasury.
It is anticipated that the ARAP ERA grant award terms will be substantially similar to those approved for the initial ERA program. However, the terms and allocation information are not available at this time.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
None