Gov. Evers Provides Update on More than $4.5 Billion in Pandemic Relief and Recovery Investments

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today shared an update of investments made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic toward ensuring the state’s continued economic recovery.To date, the Evers Administration has announced planned allocations of more than $4.5 billion in total from the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) allocations, which were made available to Wisconsin through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), respectively. In addition, Wisconsin counties and municipalities were directly allocated more than $2.3 billion by the U.S. Treasury. ARPA funds must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024, and expended by Dec. 31, 2026.

“Over the last eighteen months, we’ve made critical investments to get help to those who need it, get shots in arms, and put our state and our economy in the best position to recover and bounce back from this pandemic,” Gov. Evers said. “Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is an essential part of putting this pandemic behind us as we work to make key investments that will not only support our state’s continued economic recovery but build the future we want for our state.”

Of the $4.5 billion in federal funds, more than $2 billion has been expended by the state for emergency response efforts, public health measures, and economic support initiatives for Wisconsin residents, businesses, and communities.

As of June 30, 2021, the state has expended or obligated $1.87 billion of CRF funding, allocating the remaining $125.6 million as of July 31, 2021. The governor has also allocated all funds from the $2.53 billion of SLFRF funding.

With COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant rising, the Evers Administration has allocated $525 million in ARPA funding to ensure state agencies and their local partners have the necessary resources to respond to the pandemic, as well as holding over $400 million in a reserve fund to ensure the state has resources to continue responding to health and workforce issues related to the pandemic.

A summary of planned allocations of ARPA funding include:

• $525 million for pandemic response and government operations;
• $200 million for eligible infrastructure projects, including broadband;
• $650 million for grants to small businesses;
• $101 million for tourism sector recovery;
• $130 million for workforce initiatives;
• $510 million for economic wellbeing and healthy recovery programs; and
• $417 million held in reserve for future response needs.

Charts of CARES and ARPA funding allocations are available for review.

As the Evers Administration administers programs using ARPA funding, it will provide transparent and regular updates on investments across the state, as well as submit regular reports to the U.S. Department of the Treasury on expenditures and program outcomes. Additional information on CARES funding is available on Wisconsin’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Investment dashboard.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.