State and local governments are using money from the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) to experiment with new pilot programs that tackle issues arising from the pandemic. Here are examples of pilot programs from Connecticut and Iowa, Milwaukee and Orange counties, and San José and Washington, D.C. as described in the recipients’ SLFRF Recovery Plans submitted to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Connecticut
Program: Guided Pathways is a three-year program to help students continue in the Connecticut Community College system by expanding degree and certification programs, as well as academic support.
Total SLFRF funding to Connecticut: $2.8 billion
Program cost: $19.5 million
Iowa
Program: The Minority Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Pilot is designed to provide 200 eligible households with a down payment of $5,000 and closing costs toward the purchase of a home.
Total SLFRF funding to Iowa: $1.5 billion
Program cost: $1 million
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Program: Right to Counsel Milwaukee (RTCM) is a six-month pilot providing free legal representation to households facing eviction. The county’s Recovery Plan notes that “Black women, families with children, and Latino families in mostly White neighborhoods are disproportionally evicted,” and RTCM will prioritize services to address these disparities.
Total SLFRF funding to Milwaukee County: $183.7 million
Program cost: $2.75 million
Orange County, Florida
Program: The Relaxzootion pilot features an app to help children learn relaxation and meditation techniques. The app is part of virtual mental health services for county employees and their families.
Total SLFRF funding to Orange County: $270.7 million
Program cost: $1.32 million
For more information on Orange County's State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, read its Recovery Plan.
San José, California
Program: The Resilience Corps Learning Pathway is a one-year pilot providing on-the-job training, professional development, and education support for college students from low-income families .
Total SLFRF funding to San José: $212.3 million
Program cost: $1.37 million
Washington, D.C.
Program: The Career Mobility Action Plan pilot program provides 300 families over five years of case management, housing support, and training and education to help increase earnings.
Total SLFRF funding to D.C.: $372.9 million
Program cost: $11.7 million
Learn more
For more background on our series about how local governments are spending federal money, read the introduction here.
Visit our SLFRF Interactive dashboard to see all the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund data.