American Rescue Plan Act Funding

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Hamilton County Commissioners have been a driving force in ensuring that no tool or resource is left untapped. From creating the 513Relief Bus that brings resources directly to residents, to developing grant programs and forging strong partnerships with community leaders, nonprofits, businesses, and healthcare providers - the commissioners have worked nonstop to "build a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery by making investments that support long-term growth and opportunity" as outlined by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

On July 1, 2021, the Board of County Commissioners approved the strategic uses for Hamilton County's $158.8 million ARPA allocation to maximize benefits particularly in communities suffering disproportionate health and economic impacts.

Funding priorities were placed in various buckets:

ARPA Funding Buckets - Total $158.8M, Public Health- $17.9M, Addressing Negative Economic Impacts - $87.7M, Premium Pay - $1.9M, Community Infrastructure - $17M, Revenue Replacement - $32M, and Administrative - $2.3M

The County's plan was based public input (May 25 and May 27, 2021 public hearings) and an approach that included both short-term programming to address urgent economic and health issues and a longer-term process to develop strategies for addressing larger, systemic community problems exacerbated by COVID-19. Stakeholder meetings were held to determine long-term solutions in six key areas:

• Public Health and Community Resiliency
• Strengthening Behavioral and Mental Health Programming
• Affordable Housing and Preservation
• Homeless Prevention
• Workforce Development
• Youth Development

You can read the Ernst and Young report from the stakeholder meeting here.

All ARPA funds must be dedicated to programs by December 31, 2024. Projects must be completed and all funds distributed by December 31, 2026.

Hamilton County Commissioners developed 513Relief.org as a one-stop resource for all Covid-relief programs. In partnership with Hamilton County Public Health and Hamilton County Job and Family Services (HCJFS), commissioners used a mix of federal funds to fund relief programs as well as the 513Relief bus that provides resources directly to residents using a community-based approach. The 513Relief Bus team travels around the County helping residents access social services, COVID-19 recovery programs, and COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.

Hamilton County local government entities (including cities, townships, county agencies and other local government organizations) can apply for stormwater infrastructure grants that will help mitigate overland flooding and help strengthen stormwater collection against increasingly intense rain events. Hamilton County Commissioners expect to award a total of $3.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act Funds (ARPA) to projects that provide relief to structures in areas historically inundated with overland stormwater flow during rain events. Priority projects also include those projects that provide relief to single family or commercial buildings that have frequently experienced water in basement not related to MSD’s sewer capacity.

Eligible Organizations:

• The Applicant must be a public entity able to enter into a grant agreement with Hamilton County.
• Eligible public entities include municipalities, townships, county agencies, and other local government organizations.
• The Applicant must agree to maintain and operate the completed project long term.
• The Applicant is responsible for managing all aspects of operation to include, contract administration, project implementation, site maintenance, and other requirements of the applicant.
• Requests for design assistance to get project shovel ready are allowed so long as timelines can be met.
• Plans must be designed by a certified professional engineer.

Deadline to Apply

  Applications for funding are due Monday, November 27th, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.

  Email to [email protected].

Apply

 Stormwater Infrastructure Grant Program Risk Assessment (Required)

 Stormwater Infrastructure Grant Program Application

Hamilton County's INSPIRE Youth Initiative provides grants of up to $5,000 to grass-roots organizations, neighborhood groups, churches, non-profits, youth agencies and others to help provide activities that improve the physical, mental, and social health of Hamilton County youth in low- to moderate income communities. This unique grant program allows these groups to tell Hamilton County where the gaps are in youth assistance and receive immediate help.

For more information on the Inspire Youth Initiative, click here to visit the Inspire page.

Hamilton County Commissioners are allocating $1.5 M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help nursing programs increase enrollment. According to The Health Collaborative, nursing vacancy rates reached a 15-year high, and as of December 2021, there were over 5,000 vacant health worker positions in the Cincinnati region.

This grant funding is intended to expand existing nursing programs to increase the number of LPNs and RNs in Hamilton County. Investments can be made in the following areas: classroom and lab expansions necessary to accommodate more students; outreach; and strategies to overcome barriers to enrollment, particularly for residents that live in Qualified Census Tracts and are low to moderate income.

Eligibility:

• Must be an existing accredited nursing program located in Hamilton County.
• Has provided at least one year of direct LPN and/or RN programs to Hamilton County, Ohio applicants.

Deadline to Apply

  Submission period is now closed. Applications for funding were due Monday, December 5, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. and must be emailed to [email protected].

Eligible Teen Suicide Prevention Applicants

• Demonstrate experience providing direct services to prevent youth suicide in Hamilton County, Ohio and provide verification of applicable credentials;
• Request funds that have not been accounted for in the organization’s most recently approved budget as of January 1, 2022;
• Are in compliance with ARPA-SLFRF Final Rule.

Eligible Organizations Must

• Have a physical location in Hamilton County, Ohio;
• Be an existing 501(c)3 non-profit organization providing direct services to prevent youth suicide;
• Have proven experience in managing federal, state, or local government grants.

FAQs

 View the Teen Suicide Prevention Grant FAQs

Deadline to Apply

  Submission period is now closed. Applications for funding were due Monday, October 31, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. and must be emailed to [email protected].

Hamilton County Commissioners are announcing project expansion funding for non-profits that provide workforce development training programs with a proven record of success. County Commissioners allocated $5.7 million in funding to enhance the capacity of existing, successful workforce development training programs - programs that connect people to careers with upward mobility and financial stability and that help employers find, develop, and retain talent.

The Hamilton County Workforce Development Training Grant aims to prepare and connect residents to in-demand careers.

Deadline to Apply

  Submission period is now closed. Applications for funding were due Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. and must be emailed to [email protected].

Eligible Youth Resiliency Grant Applicants

• Have one year of direct programming to Hamilton County youth that improves resiliency and overcomes social isolation and has documentation demonstrating program effectiveness;
• Request funds that have not been accounted for in the organization’s most recently approved budget as of January 1, 2022;
• Are in compliance with ARPA-SLFRF Final Rule.

Eligible Organizations Must

• Have a physical location in Hamilton County, Ohio;
• Be an existing 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving youth;
• Have proven experience in managing federal, state, or local government grants.

FAQs

 View the Youth Resiliency Grant FAQs

Deadline to Apply

  Submission period is now closed. Applications for funding were due Monday, October 31, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. and must be emailed to [email protected].

The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners has authorized $31.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to help address the shortage of affordable housing in Hamilton County through a partnership with Cincinnati Development Fund (CDF).

CDF will host a webinar on Thursday, April 27 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. to review this opportunity in depth. You will receive a follow-up email with an invitation to the webinar. As you read through the materials, if there are questions, please direct them to [email protected]. Questions received by April 25 will be addressed in the webinar and all questions and answers will be posted on CDF’s website at www.cindevfund.org

For more detailed information, please see the attachments:

• Hamilton County ARPA RFP
• Hamilton County ARPA Summary
• Hamilton County ARPA Application
• Hamilton County ARPA Intent to Apply Form

Deadline to Apply

  Submission period is now closed. Applications were due Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.

The Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners has authorized $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to help homeowners with home repairs in order to provide safe and healthy housing that improves the County's aging housing stock and helps residents stay in their homes.

Commissioners are issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) from qualified organizations to administer a program to offer a maximum of $25,000 per eligible household for home repairs such as roofs, foundations, porches, insulation and HVAC, remediation of environmental health hazards, and accessibility.

Organizations will be tasked with developing the following program that prioritizes the health and safety of residents and targets homeowners who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and live in Qualified Census Tract areas.

Deadline to Submit Proposals

  Submission period is now closed. Proposals were due Friday, February 3, 2023, at 11 AM.

The Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners has authorized funding to help address and reduce health disparities in disproportionately impacted communities.

Commissioners are issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) from qualified organizations to primarily provide effective outreach and education to reduce and prevent chronic diseases. Specifically, efforts will impact cardiovascular conditions in Hamilton County residents who are disproportionally impacted and live in concentrated disadvantaged communities.

Local data show that cardiovascular related conditions (i.e.; high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity) are the most prevalent health condition(s) within Hamilton County.

Additionally, Hamilton County seeks to partner with an organization(s) to conduct outreach to reduce the impacts of COVID-19 on our community during spiked period of outbreaks.

Deadline to Submit Proposals

  Submission period is now closed. Proposals were due Thursday, November 10, 2022, at 11:00 AM.

The Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners has authorized $1.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to help address the shortage of childcare teachers across Hamilton County.

Commissioners are issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) from qualified and experienced organizations to administer a program to increase the number of childcare teachers to meet the local need of our workforce.

Organizations will be tasks with developing the following program that: attracts new applicants in the early education profession through targeted outreach and marketing; helps applicants overcome barriers to employment, including training and credentialing costs; assists in removing obstacles to hiring, such as onboarding costs, and other strategies.

Deadline to Submit Proposals

  Submission period is now closed. Proposals were due Friday, November 18, 2022, at 11:00 AM.