American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

American Rescue Plan Act funding directly addresses the negative impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency.


On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319), also known as ARPA, was signed into law.  The $1.9 trillion package allocates hundreds of billions of dollars for public health and vaccines, assistance for vulnerable populations, education and housing stabilization, economic recovery assistance and direct assistance for families and individuals.

Under ARPA, Royal Oak will receive a direct allocation of $28,107,502. We intend to invest it to the full extent possible toward improving the quality of life for Royal Oak residents and business owners. This summer and into fall we are seeking feedback from the public on programs, initiatives, and new ideas that they would like to see funded with ARPA money.  

Royal Oak's ARPA Project Decision-Making Process Flow


  1. Royal Oak receives ARPA funds 
  2. Guidehouse compiles funding priorities from Commissioners & City staff 
  3. Guidehouse conducts eligibility assessments on proposed projects 
  4. A survey will be distributed to a random sampling of residents this summer via direct mail, and will be made available for public response online later this summer into the fall to gather community feedback on proposed projects. All residents are welcome to complete the public survey. 
  5. Two listening sessions will be held in-person this fall with select residents and business owners for feedback. The City of Royal Oak will be inviting a diverse cross section of the City’s local population in order to have deeper community conversations. Specific dates for the listening sessions are still being determined. 
  6. Royal Oak City Commissioners will hold a working session to analyze the results of the public feedback from the survey and listening sessions and compile ARPA spending recommendations. In that working session, the survey administrator (Cobalt Community Research), who is not from the City of Royal Oak, will present objective results. 
  7. The City of Royal Oak will share the Commission’s recommended ARPA spending and why. 
  8. Public will provide final comments at the City Commission meeting, date to be announced, where the final ARPA spending vote will take place. 
  9. The Commission will then vote on final ARPA-funded projects. 
  10. The results of the City Commission vote will be shared with the Royal Oak community, estimated to occur later this fall.