American Rescue Plan Act

Hello and thank you for your question! 

The Vallejo Housing Authority (VHA) administers the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides rental subsidy assistance to low-income families and individuals. For more information on the Housing Choice Voucher Program, please visit: https://www.cityofvallejo.net/city_hall/city_government/vallejo_housing_authority

To receive County housing assistance, please visit: https://www.ci.vacaville.ca.us/departments/housing/housing-assistance/how-to-apply-for-section-8

The City of Vallejo is currently researching options for opportunities to partner with developers to expand Senior Housing projects.

Hello Leslie!

The March 2020 CARES Act established the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA). This program is meant to assist people who are self-employed, independent contractors, etc. and who would otherwise not qualify for unemployment assistance. Here is a link to their page for more information on the program: https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019/pandemic-unemployment-assistance.htm

The Small Business Administration received funds from the American Rescue Plan to assist businesses. Here a link to their page for more information on their programs: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options. 

The City doesn't currently have a business grant program but if that's something you'd like to see the Rescue Plan funds spent on, then please make sure to add it in the "Idea" section!

Hi Rachel, 

Thanks for reaching out and asking a question that I think a lot of other community members have been curious about! 

Our intention in using the funds is to allocate funds according to the Treasury guidelines (informational documents and links are posted on the webpage if you'd like to check them out). In addition to using the funds for eligible expenditures, we want to make sure they are consistent with Council's vision for a safe, prosperous, and vibrant community. The City Council will ultimately be deciding how to allocate the funds but we could use more of your input! If you have specific ideas, make sure you post them to the idea board!

Thank you, again, for reaching out and participating in the conversation!

Hi there, thanks for reaching out!

The Small Business Administration received funds from the American Rescue Plan to assist businesses. Here a link to their page for more information on their programs: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options. 

On a related note- the City doesn't currently have a business grant program but if that's something you'd like to see the Rescue Plan funds spent on, then please make sure to add it in the "Idea" section!

Hi there,

This may not be the answer you were hoping for, but here's what I have. Please know that as our plans start to get formulated, we'll be sure to share.   

We're actively working on a plan and timeline for this. While the initial guidance on the use of funds has been released, we're still waiting on a lot of clarification. Additionally, we are waiting for information regarding all of the programs funded in the American Rescue Plan bill so that we can maximize all the funding that may become available. And finally, we're working on the backend to gather data that will help us make informed decisions. For example, we're trying to understand the needs within our census tracts since the legislation provides more flexibility in those areas and are doing revenue loss calculations based on the methodology provided by the Treasury Department. We're also crossing our fingers that the State and County will allocate some of their rescue funds to the City or to grant programs that we can apply for (cross your fingers with us!).

I suppose this was a long-winded way of saying we're working on it and doing our best to be thoughtful, informed, and strategic before taking next steps. Rest assured that getting public input is part of those next steps. This is one of the reasons we have this project page - to share info, gather ideas, and give folks an easy way to ask questions. 

We recognize that these funds are a tremendous opportunity for Vallejo and want to make the most of it. Thank you for helping in this effort by asking this question and sharing your ideas. Every voice matters. 

Hi there!

You can learn more about rental assistance on the following websites: 

https://housing.ca.gov/covid_rr/index.html

https://www.ccyoso.org/solanoerap

Great question! The short answer is we're not sure yet. 

Guidance for allowable uses was released a couple of days ago. We are still in the process of understanding what can and cannot be done with our funds. Ultimately, City Council will determine how funding is allocated to different projects and programs. 

We appreciate the question and suggestion to fund after-school programs. If you have additional ideas for things you'd like to see, feel free to add them in the "ideas" tab.