COVID-19 ARPA Local Fiscal Recovery Funding
COVID-19 ARPA Local Fiscal Recovery Funding supports Pennsylvania local governments’ pandemic response, government services, essential-worker pay, and infrastructure to advance economic recovery.
Funder: Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
Due Dates: December 31, 2024 (Obligation deadline) | December 31, 2026 (Expenditure deadline)
Funding Amounts: $6.15 billion allocated to Pennsylvania local governments; jurisdiction-specific allocations
Summary: Supports Pennsylvania local governments’ pandemic response, economic recovery, revenue replacement, essential-worker premium pay, and infrastructure investments.
Key Information: Direct recipients are Pennsylvania counties, metropolitan cities, and non-entitlement units of local government—not nonprofit or private organizations.
Description
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 allocated $6.15 billion to Pennsylvania counties, metropolitan cities, and non-entitlement units of local government (NEUs). Administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, this funding supports COVID-19 response, economic stabilization, and recovery while addressing systemic public health and economic challenges.
Supported work includes COVID-19 mitigation, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, assistance for households and businesses, and certain public health and safety staffing costs. Recipients can also replace lost public-sector revenue to provide government services, offer premium pay to essential workers in critical infrastructure sectors, and invest in drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and broadband infrastructure. Within these categories, local governments have broad flexibility to address community needs.
