Mayor Menino's Recovery Plan "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill presents an historic opportunity to turn the economic tide we are currently facing. With the efforts of its Economic Recovery Team, Boston is in a good position to use the stimulus funding to build on its strengths and create thousands of jobs in Massachusetts during a harsh economic downturn." - Mayor Thomas M. Menino

>>View All Recovery Act Opportunities<<

Welcome to the City of Boston's federal recovery webpage, a site for Boston residents and businesses interested in understanding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

This site will be dynamic, with regular updates on what federal funds are coming to Boston and where those funds are being invested. As projects are funded, the site will place increasing focus on where the money is going and the status and impact of investments. If you are looking for information related to ARRA, but do not find it on this page, please let us know by sending us an email at recovery@cityofboston.gov.

On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1) into law. One key purpose of this Act, a nearly $800 billion multi-year investment in the nation's economy, is to create or save 3.5 million jobs over the next two years.

• To learn more about where the money is going nationwide, visit www.recovery.gov, or within the Commonwealth at www.mass.gov/recovery;
• To learn more about the Act, you can also read the full text of the bill.

From investments in city infrastructure to improvements in Boston's environment, ARRA will have a number of benefits for Boston residents. The most direct benefits, for most residents, however, will come through tax relief.

• To find out about the tax relief provisions in the bill, visit the IRS website, or read a full summary of tax provisions issued by the Senate Finance and House Ways & Means Committees.

Boston businesses will benefit from ARRA in two major ways: funding for construction projects and tax relief for investments.

• To find out about all bids for work, including those funded through ARRA,
  • with the City of Boston;
  • with the Boston Housing Authority;
  • with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
• To find out about the tax relief provisions in the bill, read a full summary of tax provisions issued by the Senate Finance and House Ways & Means Committees.

There is expected to be some increases in federal appropriations for research and development. As summaries of these opportunities are developed, we plan to post them on this page.

City staff recently presented to municipal union leadership on ARRA. You can either view that presentation, or read the summary below.

How Much Funding Will The City Receive?
The City will receive funds through three channels: direct appropriation from the federal government, competitive grants from the federal government and competitive grants from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Through ARRA, Boston has already been allocated $147.4 million and city officials expect to receive other significant resources in the near future to help fund future capital projects.

Funding from ARRA will be used primarily for a variety of capital, maintenance, and infrastructure projects throughout the City of Boston. Based on guidance from the federal government, certain portions of the funding may be used for targeted programming as well as personnel retention in specific City departments. However, the one-time funding that ARRA provides may not be used in whole to bridge an anticipated shortfall in the City of Boston's fiscal year 2010 operating budget. City agencies will continue to work to efficiently allocate resources from ARRA so that funded projects and initiatives have as positive an impact as possible on our neighborhoods.

Where Will That Funding Go?
Based on preliminary estimates, the City of Boston expects to receive funding in the seven categories listed below. For more detail, please read the City's February 17 press release on ARRA.
Boston notified of ARRA awards:

• Transportation: The City is working through the state's Executive Office of Transportation to access transportation funding that the state's Metropolitan Planning Organization will be directing. The City has been allocated $42.5 million in funding from the Commonwealth:
  • $12.9 million for Dorchester Avenue renovations (An additional $3.5 million in ARRA funds have been allocated to this project.)
  • $21 million for repaving streets citywide
  • $5 million for traffic light and management technology upgrades
• Public Safety: The Boston Police Department (BPD) will receive $3.9 million through Byrne-JAG formula grants to retain 51 officers. BPD was also awarded $11.8 million in competitive grant funds from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant to be used to save the jobs of 50 police officers over a three year period.
• Housing: The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) will receive $33 million through the Public Housing Capital Fund, over two years, in direct funding for capital maintenance, and energy efficiency upgrades. Officials have allocated $10 million to help redevelop the Washington Beech housing complex.  BHA will also compete for energy efficiency funding from a $1 billion national competitive grant.
• The Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) will receive $5.3 million in direct funding through Community Development Block Grants and $8.2 million for the expansion of homeless prevention services. DND will also compete for grant funding from the federal government's $2 billion Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
• Education: The City of Boston received notification from the Commonwealth on March 20 regarding IDEA funding. According to the Commonwealth, $10.2 million has been allocated for the regular IDEA grant and $400,000 for the Early Childhood portion of IDEA equaling a total of $10.6 million. Boston recently received notice from the Commonwealth that Boston Public Schools will receive $20.8 million in Title I funding for FY 2010. Funding amounts for FY 2011 will be announced later this summer.
• Workforce Development: Boston received $2.54 million in ARRA funding for the City's summer jobs program and an additional $1.86 million for job training for disadvantaged and dislocated adults.
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: The City received $6.5 million in direct funding from the Energy Efficiency Block Grant. Funding will be used for Renew Boston a program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

Check this website in the near future for updated information regarding this funding as these allocations and others are finalized by the state and federal government.


I heard about a list of projects in Boston that this money was going to. What was on that list?
Starting in October, the City assembled a list of shovel-ready and shovel-worthy projects in response to requests from the State and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. That list was used to communicate the expected benefits for Boston of a federal stimulus program; it does not reflect the actual projects that will be funded.

Who leads the City of Boston's Economic Recovery Team?
Boston's Economic Recovery Team is led by Jake Sullivan, Federal Relations Officer for Mayor Menino's Office of Intergovernmental Relations. Joining Sullivan on the team are members of the Mayor's Cabinet and Commissioners from Departments receiving appropriations from ARRA.

What are the reporting requirements for ARRA funded projects?
Both the City of Boston and the federal government will regularly report on investments and impact of ARRA. The federal government has issued a full description of reporting requirements.