Mayor Krewson Releases Framework Plan for Investing Resources from the American Rescue Plan

Mayor Lyda Krewson today released her suggested framework plan for how to invest approximately $500 million in direct financial assistance the City of St. Louis is expected to receive from President Biden's American Rescue Plan.

The framework plan, which can be found online here, is titled “Build Back a Better St. Louis” and is designed to serve as a starting point for consideration so that the City can urgently move to deploy these transformative and historic resources.

“Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we've consistently demonstrated our ability to successfully and efficiently invest critical federal funding into the community to the people and businesses who need them the most,” said Mayor Krewson. “This framework builds on that success and further shows our commitment to meeting the immediate and continued health, humanitarian, and socioeconomic needs of more than 300,000 St. Louisans.”

Some proposed investments in Mayor Krewson's framework plan include:

• $61 million to address the City's looming housing crisis, including expanded services and shelters for the unhoused community, additional rental and mortgage assistance, and expanded affordable housing units
• $78.5 million to support various public safety initiatives impacted by the pandemic, including the stabilization of City-owned vacant buildings to help repopulate neighborhoods and create home ownership opportunities, the removal of derelict buildings that harbor criminal activity and contain significant levels of lead, the expansion of the City's 911 diversion and Cops & Clinicians programs to address mental and behavioral health needs, and to address pay equity and competitive compensation among emergency first responders
• $34.75 million to address employment and small business, including additional grants and forgivable loans through St. Louis Development Corporation and seed capital to support various jobs initiatives within the “STL 2030 Jobs Plan: Driving a Decade of Inclusive Growth”
• $80 million to address critical City infrastructure and deferred maintenance, including health and safety upgrades to recreation centers, correctional facilities, and water infrastructure
• $175 million to offset lost general revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• $19.5 million to address needs at the City's Department of Health, the possible replacement or renovation of its existing facility, upgrades and repairs to the City's animal shelter facility, and forgivable loans to childcare providers

One half of the City's allocation from the American Rescue Plan is expected to be received within 60 days of the President's signature, which means it could arrive in early to mid-May. The second half is due 12 months later. The funding must be invested over approximately 3.5 years with all funds expended by December 31, 2024.

Mayor Krewson previously announced that the City of St. Louis was selected by the Accelerator for America, United States Conference of Mayors, and Drexel University's Nowak Metro Finance Lab to serve as one of the six “first-mover” Stimulus Command Center cities. The partnership's goal is to help cities establish command centers to coordinate the federal funds and plan for an inclusive recovery. These cities will work with the Accelerator for America, and one another, to share ideas for innovative solutions, align local priorities, and liaise with the Biden Administration to facilitate policy and governance design.

Documents

• American Rescue Plan-Framework Plan to Build Back a Better St Louis