The deadline to apply for the second round of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids is fast approaching. All applications must be submitted by noon on Friday, July 15. The online application is available at www.CR-LinnARPA.org or by links through both the City and Linn County websites.
In October 2021, the City of Cedar Rapids and Linn County launched a joint application process to allocate the first round of funding for federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds through a competitive application process. ARPA funding is designed to help eligible state and local governments respond to the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and help our communities recover. Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids made the second and final round of funding available through the same joint application process on June 16, 2022.
This cooperative effort between Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids simplifies the process for applicants because they only need to apply once using the joint application. Applications will be accepted from organizations wishing to use this funding for projects or services and submissions will be routed electronically to either the City or Linn County for review. This routing process will be seamless for the applicant. Applications submitted in the first round will automatically be moved to the second round for consideration, unless the applicant was previously notified their request was ineligible for funding.
City and Linn County staff will review proposals and collaborate on those projects within the City of Cedar Rapids. This will help ensure the most effective use of funds and allows for projects that address the broad scope of community needs.
Linn County anticipates a highly competitive process. As a point of reference, Linn County received 119 applications requesting a total of $77 million in Round 1 and had $11 million available. Linn County will have $22 million to award in Round 2. Some of this funding will be for competitive applications and some of it will be designated for previously identified needs or needs identified outside of the application process.
Linn County’s goal is to ensure ARPA funds are distributed across a variety of uses throughout Linn County communities, especially for one-time uses that leverage other funding sources and serve residents disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as elderly, minority, and low-income households. Linn County will evaluate all eligible competitive projects through this lens.
Learn more about the American Rescue Plan Act.