Schor Announces ARPA Community Grant Awards

Schor Announces ARPA Community Grant Awards

(LANSING) – Mayor Andy Schor today announced local organizations who were awarded grants as part of the City’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. The ARPA appropriations resolution, proposed by the Mayor and passed by the Lansing City Council, set aside just under $2 million to be distributed to community groups.

“These funds provided by the federal government through ARPA are going to help fund some great programs all across Lansing and for Lansing residents. This diverse group of organizations are doing great work in our community, especially after the effects of COVID on Lansing.  Being able to help share this one-time funding to boost their programs as a result of the COVID pandemic is a fantastic step forward,” said Mayor Schor. “The advisory review committee recommended a broad selection to me in terms of services provided, target demographics, and locations within the City. It was a hard job to narrow down all of these requests and they did a great job managing the list.”

“I’m pleased to see these grants going to a range of worthy organizations doing such important work across Lansing. Whether for building transitional housing for our homeless population, infrastructure improvements to make the city more accessible for the disabled, or offering essential community health services, this funding will help some of our most impactful service groups start the new year off strong as they continue to make Lansing a more vibrant and welcoming place for everyone,“ Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin stated.

The City received 67 applications from organizations across the City, totaling just under $18 million in funding requests. After initial screening reviews for eligibility under the federal guidelines, City officials began a thorough and thoughtful analysis of the eligible requests.

Applications were reviewed by a broad, diverse range of voices and backgrounds within Lansing city government. Advised by both the City’s Chief Financial Officer, Desiree A. Kirkland, and Daphine Whitfield, the City’s ARPA Fund Manager, the review group included the following:

• Jane Bais-DiSessa, Deputy Mayor for Operations & Chief of Staff
• Kim Coleman, Director, Department of Human Relations & Community Services
• DeLisa Fountain, Director, Department of Neighborhoods, Art & Citizen Engagement
• Joe McClure, Budget Director
• Lucianna Solis, Manager, Mayor’s Community Relations & Faith-Based Initiatives
• Mark Lawrence, Deputy Chief of Staff & Citizen Advocate

Earlier this year, Mayor Schor proposed, and Lansing City Council appropriated all the funds received from the federal government. This included $1.9 million in one-time funding for eligible community groups and programs directly serving Lansing residents that qualified under federal guidelines and rules. Each organization awarded funds is required to have ongoing liability insurance as well. Below is the full list of community organizations and their funding: