Blog

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb published an op-ed at cleveland.com last weekend detailing his administration’s plans for the city’s remaining ARPA funds, which total over $400 million. Mayor Bibb’s plans reflect the diversity of needs in Cleveland and a focus on developing and implementing a vision for how Cleveland can be and do better for all of its residents. As the mayor said, “we are not talking about spending ARPA dollars on one-off projects and programs. Such a list would be endless and, after three years, we would find ourselves in the same place we started. Instead, we need transformational strategies that can reverse decades of decline and disinvestment, improve residents’ quality of life, address economic and social disparities and enhance our competitiveness.”

Cleveland’s plans include funding for affordable housing, violence prevention and public safety, closing the digital divide, enhancing City Hall’s communications and engagement with Clevelanders, improving education options, remediating lead in all housing, arts and neighborhoods, equity, and opportunities for neighborhoods and communities to request funding for grassroots-led projects. Read more about Mayor Bibb’s plans: Mayor Bibb’s Rescue and Transformation Plan.

The City of Cleveland is one of three cities nationally participating in the Brookings Metro Transforming Cities Lab, which provides support and assistance to cities to maximize the use of these one-time federal funds to ensure that the opportunities for innovation and progress they provide aren’t missed because cities don’t have the civic capacity to make the best use of them.