Brookline Organizations To Receive $300K In ARPA Spending Package

BROOKLINE, MA — Several Brookline organizations are slated to receive $300,000 in funding as part of the $4 billion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) spending package that the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed in informal session Thursday.

The ARPA bill, which is the result of a thorough public hearing process, previous chamber votes, and conference committee deliberations, supports local programs and economic, racial, and social justice initiatives across the state, including housing, economic development, health and human services, education, and more.

The Brookline delegation, including Reps. Tommy Vitolo, Mike Moran, Ed Coppinger, and Nike Elugardo, worked to include funding for several vital organizations in Brookline.

“I am thrilled that the conferenced ARPA spending package prioritizes communities of color, low-income communities, and those most impacted by COVID-19,” said Rep. Tommy Vitolo in a statement. “I am grateful to my colleagues in the House who worked hard to fund progressive policies and programs that will continue to support our most vulnerable residents as we recover from COVID-19.”

The budget includes $100,000 for the Brookline Senior Center to respond to COVID-19 related transportation, IT, food, and social work needs, $100,000 for capital improvements and the expansion of programming space at the Brookline Teen Center, $50,000 for Women Thriving to expand COVID-19 resiliency workshops for women who experience social, racial, and economic disparities, and $50,000 for the Brookline GreenSpace Alliance to fund their Neighborhood Initiatives for Parks grant program.

Statewide, the spending package invests $530 million in affordable housing and housing stability, $700 million in economic development initiatives, and aims to distribute $500 million in the form of $500-$2,000 bonuses for low-income essential workers who worked throughout the Governor's State of Emergency.

Also included was $860 million for hospitals, behavioral health programs, and community health centers and $44 million to address food insecurity.

The ARPA spending package was unanimously approved by the House in October and the Senate passed their version in November. It is now on the Governor’s desk.