Thursday, April 6, 2023
9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) provided cities and counties with an unprecedented $130 billion in flexible resources to address the immediate impacts of the pandemic and lay the foundation for stronger, more equitable economies. PolicyLink and the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy at The New School have partnered on a multi-year research project tracking ARPA investments. Our latest research highlights how four localities — Boston; Los Angeles County; Savannah, Georgia; and St. Louis — are operationalizing equity in their ARPA investment processes and strategies.

This virtual event showcasing Los Angeles County’s $1.9 billion investment strategy llustrates four key ingredients to equitable ARPA implementation: community advocacy, institutional equity infrastructure, bold political leadership, and equity data tools. Participants also had the opportunity to learn how racial equity and immigrant rights advocates, local government officials, and the US Treasury are working to manifest the promise of this landmark federal policy — and how you can do so in your community.

Speakers:

• Masih Fouladi, Deputy Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA)
• Jacky Guerrero, Director of Equity in Community Investments, Catalyst California
• Jed Herrmann, Senior Advisor for Policy Outreach, Office of Recovery Programs, U.S. Treasury Department
• D’Artagnan Scorza, Ph.D., Executive Director of Racial Equity, County of Los Angeles, Anti-racism, Diversity and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative
• Sarah Treuhaft, Senior Director of Policy and Partnerships, Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy (moderator)