Building on that work, Wu pledged to add 1,000 new biotech and life sciences workers by 2025 to meet workforce demands and uphold the region’s prominence in the industry. Funded in part through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, the Boston Sciences Workforce Initiative will offer grants for training programs that connect companies with city residents seeking “good-paying” life sciences jobs and career paths.

In February, 2024, Wu announced the recipients of the funding, prioritizing training programs that: secure internships and hiring commitments from life sciences companies; focus on specific in-demand industry positions; and support residents without four-year degrees, particularly workers of color, women, and immigrants, who are currently underrepresented in the field. Additionally, the grants will establish an intermediary organization to provide additional support to workers, training providers, and employers, with the aim of making inclusive employment pathways a permanent fixture in the regional industry. The funding will also address common challenges that workers often face when entering the industry, such as childcare and transportation costs.

“Boston is the home for big ideas that can change the world,” said Wu. “As Mayor, my goal is to help ensure that Boston remains the best place in the world to start and grow a life sciences company—to create life-saving innovations and great jobs for our residents. Through our Life Sciences Workforce Initiative, we’re partnering with industry, training providers, and higher education to connect employers with the talented workforce that lives in our neighborhoods.”

The new spots made available by the center will help alleviate the current crisis in childcare availability, underscored by Peake’s current waitlist of more than 400 children, by doubling its capacity to serve 200 children from infant to four years old with tuition determined on a sliding scale based on a family’s ability to pay.

The center is part of a mixed-use project that includes housing, commercial space, and an on-site early childhood
educator program and classroom space. The cost of the project will be covered almost exclusively by the city’s American
Rescue Plan Act funds.

Additionally, VPCC will train the next generation of childcare professionals through its onsite credentialing program, allowing VPCC students to train by working directly with children.

The Peake Early Childhood Center will ensure that families who struggle financially have access to a center that addresses early education for their children and supports the broader needs of individual families and the city. In addition to early education’s many immediate benefits to parents and long-term impacts on kids, research shows that a lack of childcare costs businesses $4.4 billion annually because parents/guardians must be absent from work to take care of their children.

The new facility is expected to open in the fall of 2024 and, as a result of the initial kickstart by ARPA, has leveraged additional private investments.

Over the last year, under the leadership of Smiley, Providence has invested $4.3 million from ARPA to create or extend over 444 emergency shelter beds and is set to invest another $1.7 million in emergency housing support that is anticipated to benefit over 600 households. This is in addition to the ARPA funding that the city has invested in the Affordable Housing Trust that, all together, will create or preserve over 1,000 units of high-quality affordable housing projects across the city. Providence residents need both immediate support and long-term solutions to address the housing crisis, which is why Smiley has now established the Housing and Human Services Department to better coordinate and streamline the city’s ongoing investments and strategies.

Furthermore, after a strong storm in September, 2023 hammered parts of Keyser Valley and North Scranton, Cognetti quickly announced a flood relief fund leveraging ARPA dollars.

The new budget allocation provides up to $5,000 for eligible households and provides other support to nonprofit organizations and businesses recovering from flood damages. These Disaster Recovery grants can be used for costs related to property repair, appliance repair or replacement, debris removal, insurance deductibles, and moving. “By reallocating more than $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, we are providing some financial relief from the September storm and enacting long-term plans to prevent future flooding across the City,” said Gebhardt Cognetti.

Scranton’s original ARPA budget allocated $17 million in various stormwater management efforts, including funds to form a regional Stormwater Management Authority that would execute cooperative plans across municipalities to prepare for and prevent damage from events like September’s flash flood.

Bibb used ARPA for seed funding to enact a pioneering initiative, the Neighborhood Safety Fund, aimed at combating violence in the city. The fund seeks to provide perpetual support for community-driven programs addressing violence’s root causes, spanning from education to mentorship.

“We can’t solve it alone here at City Hall,” said Bibb. “I believe this first-of-its-kind fund in the nation will really show, not just Cleveland, but the country how to come together as a collective of real support, real alignment, real data- driven collaboration of how to make the right investments in our neighborhoods.”

The endowment fund is expected to generate $13 million in grants over 25 years, with plans to disburse $1 million annually with two application cycles each year. An advisory committee, including city officials, community representatives, and City Council members, will oversee grant distribution, managed by the Cleveland Foundation.

Projects were selected based on their potential to provide the various types of housing and services that residents need. In addition to new construction, the funding extends an ARPA-funded program to incentivize landlords to rent to tenants with Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and a partnership with a local non-profit to re-open a women’s shelter for an additional 2-3 years.

“Housing is the number one issue facing our community, and we are once again taking action to ensure our residents have a safe and affordable place to live,” said Craig. “The City of Manchester is prioritizing the development of affordable housing for Manchester families and increasing shelter options for our most vulnerable community members. This latest investment will provide affordable housing and shelter for hundreds of residents.”