American Rescue Plan Act
Background: ARPA Funds in Lake Oswego
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law in March 2021 to provide economic relief for businesses, nonprofits, schools, and to support community recovery from the pandemic. ARPA includes an allocation of funds to state and local governments across the nation to address issues related to the public health emergency caused by COVID-19 and associated negative economic impacts.
The City will receive approximately $8.8 million in ARPA funds. This January, Lake Oswego City Council unanimously approved the funds to be allocated as follows:
Assistance to non-profits:
- $600,000 for the ARPA Nonprofit Grant Program (discussed below)
- $800,000 in grant assistance to Habitat for Humanity for the development of affordable housing in Lake Oswego
Infrastructure:
- $350,000 to conduct a McVey/Stafford corridor analysis
- $1,250,000 to repair the North Shore Bridge retaining wall
- $2,000,000 to provide redundant power for the Water Treatment Plant and River Intake Pump Station to prevent service disruption
- $3,800,000 for Lakeview Blvd street and drainage improvements
Lake Oswego ARPA Nonprofit Grant Program
Lake Oswego City Council allocated $600,000 to fund the Lake Oswego ARPA Nonprofit Grant Program. Council appointed the ARPA Funding Advisory Committee to develop criteria and processes for the grant program. The committee consists of members from the Tourism, Budget and DEI Advisory Committees.
Nonprofits could apply for two types of funding: reimbursement and program.
- Reimbursement funding covers operational costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as payroll, rent, or expenditures related to COVID-19 mitigation measures.
- Program funding is also available to help nonprofits serve Lake Oswego residents negatively impacted by the pandemic, fund tourism-related programs and services, and support fundraising efforts affected by COVID.
The grant funding timeline is as follows:
- Monday, April 11th: Grant applications open
- Friday, May 13th: Grant applications close
- Weeks of May 30th and June 6th: Applications reviewed by Staff for completeness and sent to Committee
- Weeks of June 13th and June 20th: Applications reviewed by ARPA Funding Advisory Subcommittee
- July: Subcommittee application questions sent to nonprofits; responses collected
- August: Subcommittee scoring process
- September: Full committee funding award vote in early September; Council recommendation presentation on September 20, 2022.
Awarded grant recipients:
- Chinese Friendship Association of Portland
- Friends of Tryon Creek
- Hunger Fighters Oregon
- I Love Lake Oswego
- Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce
- Lake Oswego Meals on Wheels
- Lake Oswego Preservation Society
- Lake Oswego Rotary Club Foundation
- Lakewood Theatre & Center for the Arts
- Oswego Heritage Council
- Respond to Racism
- Rotary Club of Lake Oswego
- With Love Oregon
Thank you to the ARPA Funding Advisory Committee for their time and effort to oversee this grant process.