Detroiters can track how city is spending $826M in American Rescue Plan Act funds

Detroiters can track how the city is spending its $826 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds through a website detailing its programs and contracts.

The city launched a website to show where the funding is being used and ways Detroiters can get involved. The city thus far programmed $530 million, which City Council approved in June 2021, and is moving forward with compliance reviews and more than 80 initiatives from 15 spending categories, according to the city.

To track initiatives and programming, residents can visit detroitmi.gov/arpa and sign up for alerts.

More: Detroit City Council approves Duggan's plan to spend $826 million in federal funds

“We started with the most comprehensive community engagement process of any city to develop our spending priorities and now we are going to be the most transparent city in terms of how we are spending this money and the status of each initiative,” Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement. “There is tremendous opportunity being created to benefit Detroiters in a number of ways and this website can be a roadmap to find it.”

Detroit's ARPA website also has a #TakePart element for residents to find information about community meetings, jobs and special alerts. The website also has a registration page for suppliers, a portal of available bid opportunities, and a section showing which contracts were approved by City Council and those that are pending.

More: Detroit is getting $426 million. Here's where Detroiters say that money should go.

Programs the city already launched using ARPA funding include:

• $2.4 million for Basement Back-up Protection, a program to prevent residential basement flooding.

• $7 million for Lee Plaza restoration to increase affordable housing for senior citizens.

• $15 million for Community Health Corps expansion of social services for Detroiters.

• $75 million for Skills for Life paid career training, GED completion and skills development for Detroiters.

• $30 million for Renew Detroit Roof repair for eligible homeowners who are senior citizens or people with a disability.

Some of the upcoming ARPA-funded programs, which require further approvals and are expected to launch between the spring and fall, include neighborhood beautification grants, blight remediation, an arts alley initiative, Detroit at Work's Learn to Earn, recreation centers, restoration of the unused Detroit Fire Department Ladder 30 facility, Joe Louis Greenway, neighborhood signs and the Detroit Police Department Shot Spotter expansion.

ARPA funding commitments must be in in place by Dec. 31, 2024, but the city has until December 2026 to spend the money. Funds cannot be used for expenses incurred before March 3, 2021, or directly toward pensions, debts, settlements, judgments or rainy-day funds.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact Dana: [email protected] or 313-635-3491. Follow her on Twitter: @DanaAfana.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit launches website to track American Rescue Plan Act money