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COVID Recovery Funding

Buncombe County has been awarded about $50 million in federal COVID Recovery Funding to directly address COVID response efforts and peripheral economic fallout from the pandemic. This recovery funding for local governments is just one part of an overall package of aid to local communities supported by the American Rescue Plan Act.

How is Buncombe County using this funding?

Buncombe County is making rolling awards. See below for the projects awarded to date.

COVID Recovery Funding Key Dates

Buncombe County is taking action to create a recovery response that engages the local community and provides an inclusive process for fund distribution, including the following key steps.

Table: COVID Recovery Funding Key Dates
Dates Purpose
March 11, 2021 American Rescue Plan Act signed into law
April 21 – May 14, 2021 Community survey about recovery funding priorities
May 10, 2021 U.S. Treasury released initial spending guidance
May 19, 2021 Received first tranche (half) of funds: $25,366,645
June 3 – July 15, 2021 Initial Request for Proposals (RFP)
August 31, 2021 Commissioners approved $11,309,495 project awards
November 16, 2021 Commissioners approved an additional $11,305,004 in project awards
February 1, 2022 Commissioners approved an additional $479,000 award
March 1, 2022 Second RFP Issued
March 14, 2022, 1:30-3:00 Recovery Funding Workshop
April 12, 2022, 12:00 p.m. (noon) RFP deadline
May 3, 2022 Commissioners approved an additional $4,853,902 in project awards
June 21, 2022 Commissioners approved an additional $50,000 in project awards
July 19, 2022 Commissioners approved an additional $18,821,666 in project awards
September 5, 2023 Commissioners approved an additional $6,939,716 in project awards
September 19, 2023 Commissioners approved adjustments to final project allocations

Request for Proposals - The deadline to submit applications has now passed.

Workshop - A virtual funding workshop was held on March 14, 2022. View the recording here.

Download the Recovery Funding Workshop Presentation.

Reports

Buncombe County is committed to transparency so that the community can follow along with how Recovery Funding is being spent and the results of the investments.

Stay tuned for more reporting in the months to come.

Downloads

ARPA Community Input Sessions

The Board of Commissioners hosted public input sessions specific to Buncombe County's planned use of American Rescue Plan Act funds at the end of September 2021. You can view recordings of these sessions below.

September 24, 2021

September 27, 2021

September 28, 2021

Locate & Contact

Community Investment

Contact

Rachael Nygaard
Director of Strategic Partnerships
200 College Street
Asheville, NC 28801
P. (828) 250-6536

Community Investment
200 College Street, Suite 300
Asheville, NC 28801

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