Henrico County Stimulus Funding

In response to COVID-19, Henrico County received stimulus funding totaling $261 million from federal grant programs including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act , and the Coronavirus Relief Fund and the American Rescue Plan (ARPA). Following guidelines provided by the U.S. Treasury, Henrico County is utilizing these resources to provide relief to its citizens and strengthen its economy. Please continue below for details and updates on Henrico County’s stimulus funding.

CARES Act

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed on March 27, 2020, to provide relief, assistance and stimulus to individuals, businesses and state and local governments in the United States. The initiatives associated with the CARES Act provided $2.59 trillion in funding to jurisdictions, municipalities, and citizens throughout the nation.

Additional CARES Act information.

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER)

As part of the CARES Act, the Education Stabilization Fund was established. Congress set aside $13.2 billion of this fund for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program which provides emergency relief funds to address the impact of COVID-19 on elementary and secondary schools. These funds provide mental health services and supports, address learning loss among students, afford summer learning, supply educational technology that aids student and teacher interaction, and be used to repair and improve school facilities to reduce risk of virus transmission and support student health needs.

Additional ESSER funding information.

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed, which established the $362 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. These funds were allocated to states, localities, municipalities, and territories to assist in continued COVID-19 relief. Recipients can use these funds to:

Support public health expenditures, by, for example, funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff
Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector
Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic
Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors
Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet

Additional ARP Act funding information.

Henrico County’s Action

Henrico County has received the following amounts from the above-mentioned programs and has and utilized and will continue to utilize them to protect our citizens, sustain our community, and stimulate economic recovery.

Funding Description	Amount	Uses
CARES Act for Local Governments	$57.7 million	Salaries for public safety employees. COVID-mitigation and learning loss efforts in schools Subsidized local daycare partners in order to provide low-cost daycare during school closures
CARES for Schools	$8.8 million	Remote learning technology Learning-loss mitigation
ESSER I &II	$45.1 million	Cleaning supplies, air filters, PPE Chromebooks & remote learning support Learning loss mitigation Social/emotional support programs
Program-specific CARES-related Awards	$7.3 million	HUD/ESG Housing assistance funding COVID testing & Vaccine events Public Safety salaries Employment and Unemployment support Behavioral health & substance abuse providers Telehealth program for inmates Election support and mail-in ballots Payment assistance for utility-related bills
ESSER III	$78.3 million	Proposed uses: Learning loss mitigation Support remote learning Renovation of Virginia Randolph Academy
ARP Act for Local Governments	$64.3 million	Proposed uses: Water & Sewer related infrastructure