Controller Galperin’s New Data Story Shows How L.A. Is Using Federal Funds to Stem Pandemic Losses.
LOS ANGELES — L.A. Controller Ron Galperin today released a new online data story showing how $1.28 billion in federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds allocated to the City of Los Angeles will be used to meet the revenue challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last 16 months.
The first resource of its kind in Los Angeles, “How the American Rescue Plan Is Impacting L.A.” includes graphs, diagrams and interactive charts illustrating the magnitude of the City’s unexpected revenue difficulties, and breaks down how ARP funds will be used to pay for local public services and initiatives.
“When the pandemic hit, the City’s revenue projections suddenly changed, putting essential public services at risk,” said Controller Galperin. “The infusion of federal American Rescue Plan dollars allows Los Angeles and local governments across the nation to maintain these services and concentrate on a more equitable recovery. My new online resource gives Angelenos a transparent look at how L.A. will use the federal funds and helps ensure accountability as the money gets spent.”
Before the pandemic, Los Angeles was projecting another year of revenue growth, but once COVID-19 hit, overall revenue projections declined. Approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, the ARP provided $1.9 trillion in much-needed support to individuals, families, and state and local governments throughout the United States. The State of California, L.A. County and City of Los Angeles are all receiving ARP funds, with the City slated to get a total of $1.28 billion over the course of a year — $640 million in May 2021 and the remainder in May 2022.
Here are some of the programs the ARP will fund this fiscal year in the City of L.A.
- Programs to alleviate homelessness: $181 million
- Prevention, services, shelter program, support and clean-ups: $136 million
- Domestic violence shelter expansion and human trafficking shelter pilot: $4 million
- Neighborhood service enhancements: $30 million
- Justice and equitable neighborhoods investments: $133 million
- Alleys and pedestrian safety improvements: $15 million
- Tree planting: $2 million
- COVID-19 response and recovery: $40 million
Shining a light on government finances
“How the American Rescue Plan is Impacting L.A.” is Galperin’s latest innovative tool to explain the City’s complex financial picture. He created the COVID-19 Spending tracker in December 2020 to illustrate how the City was spending federal aid in its response to the pandemic and followed up with “Inside L.A. City Finances,” which includes the information on all City funds, along with ongoing revenues and expenses.
Explore “How the American Rescue Plan is Impacting L.A.” at lacontroller.org/federal-funds-impacting-la.
Follow L.A. Controller Ron Galperin at @LAController onTwitter,Facebook andInstagram.