Submitted by: Patrick Paschall
Submitting Department: Finance
Agenda Section: Discussion
Item Title:
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Food Assistance Relief Program - ARPA
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Suggested Action:
recommendation
I move the Mayor and Council allocate $200,000 for non-profit food assistance programs serving Hyattsville residents, authorizing up to $25,000 per food assistance provider. Providers must be in good standing with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, provide free food to residents, and primarily or significantly serve the City of Hyattsville’s resident communities.
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Summary Background:
The City of Hyattsville has been awarded $17.9 million under the American Rescue Plan Act, which is intended to be used for reinvestment back into our community focusing both on immediate pandemic-related needs of our community and addressing structural barriers that were exacerbated during the pandemic.
One of the most common concerns residents raised was access to food. This program will provide funding support to programs that provide free food services to residents in the City of Hyattsville. Program funding of up to $25,000 per provider will be available to programs that operate exclusively or primarily within the City of Hyattsville.
While a provider can be eligible for relief if it is not located within the City of Hyattsville, under the American Rescue Plan the City can only provide relief to in proportion to the benefit received by the City. For example, if a non-profit or a program of a non-profit operates primarily outside the City of Hyattsville, but can establish that 25% of a program beneficiaries are City residents, then the City may provide only up to 25% of that program costs in ARPA relief support.
Next Steps:
The City will publish a Notice of Funding Availability, inviting eligible providers to submit applications for funding food assistance programs that serve City residents. Awards are expected by the end of Spring 2022.
Fiscal Impact:
$200,000
City Administrator Comments:
Recommends approval
Community Engagement:
The City has conducted an extensive outreach process to hear from the community about pandemic-related emergency relief needs, in an effort to tailor relief programs to the needs of our community. Through our public engagement process, we heard from over 400 unique individuals provide feedback via community listening sessions, an online feedback form, paper requests for feedback mailed to each home, and other outreach methods.
Strategic Goals:
Goal 2 - Ensure the Long-Term Economic Viability of the City
Legal Review Required?
N/A