SWAMPSCOTT — Monday was the last day for residents and business owners to take a community-wide survey asking their thoughts about what the town should do with approximately $4.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds it will receive from the American Recovery Project Act, or ARPA.
The federal government passed ARPA in March 2021 to ensure state, county, tribal, and local entities would receive aid to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the resulting public health and economic impacts. The $1.9 trillion act has provided direct financial relief to American citizens, businesses, and municipalities. Swampscott has already received the first half of its $4.5 million allocation and is expected to receive the rest of the aid before December 31, 2024.
The Swampscott survey asked residents to select up to five areas where the town should invest its ARPA funding. The areas range from drug abuse health support to individual assistance with mortgage payments. The survey also asks residents and business owners to identify the level of impact the pandemic has had on their household and work environment.
“Together we are tasked with recognizing areas where one-time investments can have long-term benefits to our residents and community,” the survey’s introduction reads. “Through close collaboration, we will identify solutions that allow for economic growth and development while making the right choices for our community.”
ARPA funds come with one serious requirement: they must be spent in a way that reflects Swampscott responding and recovering from the pandemic and its effects. The generally allowable spending categories include assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality.
Aid recipients are also allowed to use the funds to pay essential workers, provide government services that otherwise would not be available due to a reduction in town revenue, and make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.
