Pierce County allocates all COVID-19 funds, but less than a quarter has been spent
While Pierce County has allocated all of its federal dollars for COVID-19 response received, less than a fourth of the funds have been distributed.
Pierce County received $88 million in May of its $175 million promised from the American Rescue Plan to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Pierce County Council allocated the last of the $88 million on Tuesday by earmarking the final $12.1 million. Those allotments included:
$5 million to buy temporary shelter space in an undetermined location
$4 million to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to fund testing and case and contact investigation support for public and private schools
$1.4 million for Economic Development’s community navigator program
$1.2 million to increase shelter facility space in the form of tents and tiny houses
$350,000 to support foreclosure prevention housing counseling services
$100,000 to support the First Five FUNdamentals Diaper Bank
$50,000 to Child Care Resources for its homeless childcare program
$11,000 for the Children’s Home Society youth program
But only about 22 percent of the allocated funds have actually been spent. According to the county’s internal tracking ARPA database, roughly $19 million has been spent.
Communications Director Libby Catalinich said the $88 million American Rescue Plan Act is expected to last three years and many funds will be distributed throughout the rest of this year and into the next.
“Some of the larger expenditures that are planned to be processed before the end of 2021 include continued support for shelter services, the purchase of two motels or hotels for housing, contact tracing, and business support,” she said in an email. “The authorized expenditures include funds that are planned to be spent during the current calendar year and next year.”
Funds that have been allocated, but are expected to be used next year include $3 million to add temporary staff in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for the backlog of court cases and the $15 million for broadband expansion across Pierce County.
Pierce County Council spokesperson Brynn Grimley said some allocations could change.
“There may be instances where money allocated isn’t used or it is reimbursed through some other funding source,” she said.
The rest of the $88 million has been allocated to include:
$15 million to support broadband service expansion countywide
$11.6 million has been allocated to “economic stabilization” for businesses relief programs and work training programs
$10.3 million allocated to respond to the public health crisis
$8.5 million will be set aside for social service programs
$7 million is slated for “COVID-19 operational impacts,” to meet public health and safety guidelines as the public returns to public spaces and purchase electronic home monitoring devices for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department to keep track of criminal defendants
$3 million to increase cleaning procedures at all Pierce County buildings
$4 million for an Innovation Grants program to help small businesses adapt to changing market conditions
$500,000 for the future establishment of a centralized agricultural facility
The second tranche of ARPA funding will be disbursed in May 2022, Catalinich said.
This story was originally published October 18, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
