Economic Stimulus
With billions of dollars being pumped into the economy in the name of economic recovery under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), a significant opportunity has arisen to strengthen communities of color. This funding has the potential to provide much needed improvements to community development infrastructure, transportation, schools, and an increase in job opportunities. In addition, there are opportunities for community-based organizations to access funding to increase community participation in community planning. With all of the potential good that the stimulus funding could do, there may be significant missed opportunities to make this come to fruition due to lack of accessible information. Also, communities of color may experience stimulus redlining if funding is not monitored and civil rights laws are not enforced. The Obama Administration must be pushed to ensure that it uses the tools available to the federal government to attach “strings” and requirements to this substantial federal funding to avoid such inequitable outcomes.
To pursue accountability and equity, communities of color need timely information that distills the complex structure and regulations associated with the stimulus to ensure that recovery does not bypass them. In an effort to accomplish this, Advancement Project has developed community-friendly materials about stimulus funding. In addition, Advancement Project will analyze stimulus spending (e.g. neighborhood stabilization, CBBG spending, and other infrastructure funding) in several jurisdictions to determine whether communities of color were redlined. This data can then be used in local advocacy campaigns or in federal administrative enforcement proceedings or litigation, if necessary.
