American Rescue Plan Act

The state has reimbursed the City for this loan.

Background: To address housing needs, Council granted an emergency ARPA loan to Human Solutions to save affordable housing provided by the Aldercrest Apartments. The funding agreement allows Human Solutions to purchase, renovate, and develop 68 permanently affordable housing units.

• Economic development strategy to attract retail and commercial investment in Downtown, Civic Neighborhood and future Pleasant Valley areas.
• Development of required Urban Renewal Plan related to the creation of a potential new district that would include the Civic Neighborhood and Downtown areas.

• Awarded 80 small businesses grants to ease pandemic-related financial impacts on businesses.
• Fifty percent of the pool was reserved for state-certified women, minority, veteran and emerging businesses. 

Reimbursement for personal protection equipment and supplies for staff providing public services for the community during the pandemic. 

Awarded funding for nonprofit organizations to provide services to community members negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With a focus on individuals who may be especially susceptible.

2022 ARPA Community Assistance Grant recipients

• Birch Community Services – Freezer expansion to store and distribute food: $30,000
• Boxes of Love – Supporting Gresham’s most vulnerable infants/children in foster care system: $30,000
• Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce – Tourism/marketing Gresham: $30,000
• Gresham Historical Society – Gresham public history program: $30,000
• Kefi Care Programs – Day programs and care for developmental/intellectual disability clients: $30,000
• Latino Network – COVID-19 response wraparound support: $30,000
• Meals on Wheels People – Meals 4 Kids: $30,000
• MetroEast Community Media – Mobile media innovation lab and digital literacy: $30,000
• My Father’s House – “The Journey” job training program for people with low incomes: $30,000
• Rockwood CDC – Rockwood English Language Institute for immigrant communities: $20,000
• Slavic Community Center – Language-specific support for Slavic community in Gresham offering utility and cultural food assistance: $30,000
• WomensFirst Transition and Referral Center – Serving women and the BIPOC community who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19: $30,000 

• New HVAC systems to improve air quality.
• Safety assessments and immediate improvements to stations.
• Seismically stable training tower to replace 50-years plus, unsafe structure.

Food Insecurity Grant 

The City’s ARPA Community Assistance Grant Program grants up to $30,000 in funding for qualifying nonprofits to provide increased food security to families and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic who are accessing community food pantries.

2024 ARPA Food Assistance Grant recipients

• Birch Community Services - $20,000 to bridge the gap for families who experience food shortages.
• El Programa Hispano Catolico - $28,800 to combat food insecurity for the East Multnomah County Latine population.
• Growing Gardens - $4,800 to help community members build home gardens to relieve food insecurity.
• Latino Network - $26,200 to provide take-home food supplements to students at Hartley Elementary School.
• Outgrowing Hunger - $30,000 to purchase and rescue culturally specific foods and delivery them to low-income families.
• SnowCap - $19,000 to continue to meet the increased need stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Zarephath Kitchen & Pantry - $21,200 to provide pantry staples through partnerships with locally owned businesses.

• Expanded the Homeless Services team.
• Hired a limited-term housing resources coordinator to connect residents to resources.
• Included a modest amount of administrative support for nonprofits with City contracts.

• Provided resources to Human Resources to better manage employee and labor relations.
• Resources to complete implementation of the City's core financial, human resources and community services system.
• Temporary outreach assistance related to the adopted Financial Road Map.

• Allocated $4.5 million to fill the projected gap between revenue and expenses for the City's fiscal year 2022/23 and 2023/24 budgets.
• Provided a one-time retention bonus in recognition of service to the community during the pandemic.
• Granted a modest 3% of APRA funds to cover administrative costs of distributing these funds, following reporting requirements, and administering grant programs.

• Leveraged grant funding to complete Gradin Community Sports Park to provide tournament-quality fields as well as playground, pickleball courts and dog park for neighbors.
• Leveraged a potential grant and other funding sources to build an undeveloped park for the community.
• Wy'East Way partial trail improvements funds. To build a safer pedestrian connection along the trail and connect the Civic and Downtown neighborhoods.
• Completed gap in Gresham-Fairview trail between Sandy Boulevard and Halsey Street, improving safety along a high-crash street. A Metro grant covered 85% of the cost; ARPA funds provided a small match required by the grant.

City Council approved:

• Hiring incentives for Police officers and non-sworn Police positions to address the rise in violent crime across the region.
• Safety equipment and training.
• Adding four firefighter-paramedic limited-term positions.
• Fire Department COVID-19 related overtime during the pandemic.
• Police Community Safety Specialists, trained civilian positions who can handle non-violent police calls, such as property crime reports, directing traffic and community relations.
• Twenty-four Police community safety missions to reduce gun violence and vehicle theft.
• Community violence interventions including updated gun violence mapping, SWAT equipment and expansion of drones as first responders program.
• Cardiac equipment.
• Upgrade of a Fire rescue vehicle to allow transport the most critical patients in need of an ambulance directly to the hospital.

• Update the 2004 Pleasant Valley concept plan.
• Update the Comprehensive plan. 
• Develop a community center feasibility study.

• Potential property purchase in one of the City’s three economic opportunity areas to catalyze development.
• Potential purchase of a property to house City Fleet and Transportation services, which will save money long-term on rent.

• To finish replacing all City computers, which are out of warranty and contributing to slow and inefficient operations.
• To complete a mandatory upgrade for critical mapping services for utilities.

More funding to meet a higher need for utility bill help while the community recovers from the pandemic.

To address public safety, Council granted ARPA funding to focus on the rise in violence our community has experienced the past year. Funds will primarily go to culturally specific community-based organizations that specialize in providing services for youth and young adults in Gresham. Includes support for more positive recreational and social engagement activities.