ARPA Updates & Recipient Resources

Overview

The City of Easton has received $20.7 million in federal funding via the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for which it, together with vital civic partners, will make strategic investments in the community and its residents. This page will serve as a conduit to learn about the City's ARPA initiatives as well as a platform for funding sub-recipients and beneficiaries to access useful resources and tools.

The Department of Community and Economic Development and City administration is working rigorously to ensure this funding is responding to the negative economic and public health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, through allocations to target areas such as critical infrastructure, households, and communities, impacted industry, as well as water and sewer infrastructure. The City of Easton is committed to distributing this funding in a transparent and equitable manner.

Should a sub-recipient or beneficiary have any questions or concerns regarding the City's ARPA process, please do not hesitate to contact the Community and Economic Development Administrator, Sean Ziller, or the Department of Community and Economic Development team at 610-250-6719.

Please note: While regular updates to funding recipients will be posted primarily in the below linked Portal, information will also be updated on this page as necessary. Recipients should first refer to the ARPA Funding Portal.

ARPA Funding Portal

Visit the ARPA Funding Portal

Central portal for sub-recipients and beneficiaries to access resources and forms, and to submit required reporting and project updates. Only those authorized by the City can access this Portal.

ARPA Investment in the Community

American Rescue Plan funding is already making a critical impact in our community, due in part to the collaboration and dedication of local partners that are helping to ensure funded projects produce measurable successes. Below are a list of recent, select allocations of the City's ARPA funding toward these community-focused initiatives.

• May 2023: Approximately $680,000 authorized to fund the City's Business Retention Assistance of the City of Easton (BRACE) Program. This program, administered in collaboration with the Greater Easton Development Partnership (GEDP), will provide direct grants and loans to City small businesses, offer marketing and analytics tools, and further support local tourism. 24 business grants approved as of October 2023. 4 business loans approved as of October 2023.

• Summer 2023: $50,000, in partnership with the YMCA of Easton, Phillipsburg & Vicinity, for Summer 2 of the "Pop Up and Play" program.
  • Park Visits to 8 Locations: 2,422
  • Meals / Snacks Served: 6,818
• Summer 2023: An additional $30,000 to support a variety of youth sports programs across the City.
• May 2023: $200,000 for the purchase of upgraded communication equipment for the City's Fire Department.
• March 2023: $25,000 to support the creation of an Outdoor Entertainment Series, administered by the Greater Easton Development Partnership (GEDP), to develop a slate of unique performances hosted at Riverside and Scott Parks and Centre Square.  
• February 2023: $200,000 to replace the City's Mobile Bandshell for use during outdoor events and community festivals. 
• January 2023: Allocation funding neighborhood and "Welcome to Easton" signage across the City.
• December 2022: $50,000 awarded to the YMCA of Easton, Phillipsburg & Vicinity for its gym roof replacement project.  
• December 2022: Approximately $21,000 awarded to support PATHWAY, "a collaborative pilot program between Third Street Alliance and a division of The Children's Home of Easton" providing transitional housing, case management, and program initiatives to assist women and mothers.
• 2021 / December 2022: More than $20,000 to assist in funding improved lighting in Centre Square and on the City's South Side, in collaboration with the Friends of Easton, PA.  
• Summer / Fall 2022: Allocation partially funding the new scoreboard at the baseball field at Hackett Park.  
• 11/20/2022: $10,000 presented to the Boys & Girls Club of Easton, in collaboration with the YMCA of Easton, Phillipsburg & Vicinity and the City's Parks and Recreation Department, for the development of an Easton Girls' Volleyball Club.  
• Q3 2022: $150,000 ($75k for 2022 & 2023) toward Small Business Assistance Through Easton's Winter Village via the expansion of the existing festival footprint and business participation. 
• 9/2022: Launch of the City's Affordable Housing Program, including the establishment of a housing development corporation (HDC), the formation of a land bank within the Redevelopment Authority, and an award to Safe Harbor for its Campus Continuum Expansion project. This involves the activation of nearly $3.9 million in ARPA funding in support of these efforts.
• 8/30/2022: Announcement of the Residential Façade Improvement Program which, in allocating $1.5 million in ARPA funding, will help to provide up to $10,000 to eligible property owners for the purposes of completing much-needed façade work and to aid in eliminating blight. 61 applications approved in 2022.  
• 8/1/2022: $100,000 granted to The Mill at Easton, LLC. to aid in the completion of the project to develop a 55-unit affordable housing community on the City's South Side.  
• Summer 2022: Expansion of the City's Summer Employment Program by providing new opportunities to high school and college-aged students to gain vital hands-on experience while simultaneously working to support their surrounding community.
• Summer 2022: $60,000+, in partnership with the YMCA of Easton, Phillipsburg & Vicinity, for the development of the "Pop Up and Play" program.
• 5/23/2022: $150,000 granted to The Third Street Alliance for Women & Children to assist with expansion of its Pool-to-School project.  
• Q2 2022: $134,000 for emergency repairs to the Pine Street Garage.

Related Documents

City of Easton - American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Budget (PDF)