The New School Budget Equity Project: tracking federal funds invested in local communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19
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The site allows users to explore how 170 cities and counties allocated billions of dollars in flexible federal funds under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA).
Background
About the Client
The Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School in New York City conducts research on systemic inequalities and works to promote equity. The Budget Equity Project at the Institute was created to provide policymakers with research and data to inform the local budgeting process.
About the Project
As a result of the devastating impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) provided cities and counties with $130 billion in flexible federal recovery funds. At the time, communities were encouraged to prioritize equity in allocating these funds by targeting resources to those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and making investments that address systemic inequities. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Project and website are tracking whether and how local governments are making equitable investments with their ARPA funds and documenting exemplary projects and approaches. The Project has also created a prototype budget equity assessment tool for community leaders to use to champion equitable budgeting processes and investments.
Goals and challenges
- Provide easily searchable data and summaries to track billions in federal funds to local communities
- Document the extent to which cities and counties prioritized equity in how they allocated federal COVID-19 recovery dollars
- Guide users through thousands of individual projects in hundreds of cities and counties
- Combine the data with compelling case studies documenting local efforts to build more equitable communities and best practices for equitable public investments
Solutions and Features
170 unique location pages detail cities' and counties' budgeting process on a 40-item rubric and summarize how funds were allocated
Searchable and filterable interface of over 7,000 locally budgeted projects, including details on more than 4,000 investments with the potential to advance equity
Compare how 170 cities and counties prioritized equity in their budgeting process
Easily find your local community among all cities and counties that were evaluated
Coverage and Impact
Some localities are using an equity lens, and listening to the communities that are typically excluded from budget discussions, to use these fleeting federal funds to build thriving cities.
Interested in working with us?
Please use the contact form or write to us at info@hyperobjekt.com
