Federal and County Relations

Biden Administration Asks Local Governments to Set Housing Goals

HUD's new ‘House America’ initiative aims to increase the number of affordable housing units and to reduce the number of unhoused people across the country.

  • By Andrea Noble

Justice Department Issues New Rules to Monitor Oversight of Police

The changes are meant to help minimize the costs of consent decrees to local jurisdictions and to avoid any conflict of interest among the monitors who oversee the reforms.

  • By Andrea Noble

Only 11% in Rental Assistance Spent, Treasury Department Prepares to Reallocate Unspent Aid

State and local rental assistance programs have doled out little of the $46.5 billion in emergency rental assistance and jurisdictions that don’t disperse money soon could have to return it.

  • By Andrea Noble

Confusion Over How Latest Eviction Ban Will be Enforced

About 80% of counties are covered by the moratorium, but a change in local coronavirus transmission rates will affect eligibility.

  • By Andrea Noble

Using Federal Relief Funds to Ensure Equitable Recovery for Small Businesses

Governments can leverage American Rescue Plan dollars to help local companies impacted by the pandemic, including those owned by women and minorities.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

White House Says CDC Eviction Ban Will Expire Saturday

President Biden said he would have supported an extension of the moratorium but the administration was bound by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

  • By Andrea Noble

Senate Lawmakers Reach Agreement on Infrastructure Package

The proposal has cleared a key procedural vote, which will allow it to advance.

  • By Andrea Noble

States, Localities Distributing Rental Aid at a Quicker Pace

Emergency rental assistance programs have distributed about $3 billion since January, but that accounts for just 6% of the overall aid approved by Congress.

  • By Andrea Noble

How Localities and States Can Prepare for Broadband Expansion

Governments can use American Rescue Plan Act funding to pay for broadband infrastructure. Experts say local governments are in the best position to know what initiatives will work to connect residents.

  • By Andrea Noble

Financing Plan for Infrastructure Agreement Called into Question

Finance experts say the plan to pay for the infrastructure proposal, in part by clawing back unspent Covid relief funds, is unlikely to cover the full cost.

  • By Andrea Noble

How Governments Can Leverage Federal Funds to Partner With Local Nonprofits

The American Rescue Plan allows states and localities to funnel federal relief dollars to nonprofit organizations, which the National Council of Nonprofits says could be key to local economic recovery.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

This Week in Federal Funding

In the June 29 edition we give an update on the Treasury Department guidance for the American Rescue Plan Act aid to states and localities.

  • By Bill Lucia
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Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, Supported by State and Local Governments, Back on Track

President’s Biden walked back comments that he would not sign an infrastructure bill without a second Democrat-backed proposal. That irked Republicans who threatened to derail the agreement.

  • By Andrea Noble

Bipartisan Group of Senators to Meet with Biden on ‘Breakthrough’ Infrastructure Agreement

Lawmakers announced Wednesday night they had reached an agreement on the framework of an infrastructure plan and will present the proposal to President Biden on Thursday.

  • By Andrea Noble

Questions Loom for States, Localities About How to Spend Billions in Covid Relief Funds

Federal and policy experts told city officials Thursday that governments that lost revenue during the pandemic have greater flexibility for using the American Rescue Plan money.

  • By Andrea Noble

State, Local Governments Could Get $500M to Expand Cybersecurity

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a bill this week that would create a grant program to bolster cyber defenses across the U.S.

  • By Andrea Noble

Senate Committee Clashes over Sweeping Election Reform Bill

Lawmakers failed to advance the For the People Act out of committee, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to bring the bill to the floor anyhow.

  • By Andrea Noble

The Cities and Counties Getting the Biggest Sums of Federal Aid

The Treasury Department will begin distributing $350 billion in state and local pandemic recovery money this month. Funding for individual localities ranges widely between places, from thousands of dollars up into the billions.

  • By Bill Lucia

Treasury to Begin Distribution of $350 Billion for State, Local Governments

The guidance released Monday gives governments wide latitude in spending American Rescue Plan funds.

  • By Andrea Noble

A $4.5B Pool of Economic Recovery Funds States, Localities Can Tap Into

The U.S. Economic Development Administration received an influx of Covid relief dollars over the past year that is more than 10 times the size of its usual budget. That money is now flowing as grants.

  • By Bill Lucia

As Influx of Aid Nears, Some Spending Principles For States and Localities to Consider

Billions in federal coronavirus relief payments to states and localities are expected in May. Important choices lie ahead about how to best put the money to use.

  • By Bill Lucia