In April, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced that she would be allocating $2 million in ARPA funding to assist Newton residents who were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 — i.e., low-income individuals and families and people of color.
- $250,000 has already been made available for rent and utility assistance to address immediate needs and is being administered by Metro West Collaborative Development. All potential applicants should reach out to the City’s Social Services Division to discuss eligibility.
- $1.75 million has been designated to support long-term economic mobility and stability initiatives to address systemic barriers. The decision to allocate these funds is based on recommendations from the Community Needs Assessment that was completed in February.
A virtual information session will be held on Thursday, September 15 at 6:00PM (Zoom link) for the community to learn more about the City’s Economic Stability/Mobility Initiative. The City has partnered with UMass Donahue Institute (UMDI), and UMDI’s Senior Research Manager, Christina Citino, will lead this meeting. She is working with the City’s Health & Human Services and Housing staff, as well as with an Advisory Committee, to further define the program and identify organizations to implement it. In the meeting, she will make a short presentation on the process and work completed and will then address questions and comments. For more information, contact Amanda Berman at aberman@newtonma.gov.
