September 26, 2024 - A new multiyear study conducted by the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy (the Institute) at The New School identified Fort Wayne as a leader in investing federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 to advance equity.
Fort Wayne scored in the top third of 170 U.S. cities and counties evaluated by the Institute’s Budget Equity Project, which examined how local governments across the U.S. are investing flexible recovery funds from ARPA to support racial and economic equity in their communities.
Fort Wayne is the only municipality in Indiana to be recognized.
ARPA provided $130 billion in flexible funding for cities and counties across the country to use for COVID-19 pandemic relief and longer-term, transformational investments. Fort Wayne received $50.8 million.
The Institute’s ARPA Equity Assessment measured performance across six dimensions of equitable public investment: 1) overall equity focus; 2) application of equity tools and institutional infrastructure; 3) community engagement; 4) use of equitable labor practices; 5) breadth and depth of equity investments; and 6) investment transparency/accountability.
“It’s encouraging to see Fort Wayne continue to receive national recognition for our proactive efforts to make a positive difference,” said Mayor Sharon Tucker. “Providing an enhanced quality of life for all is vital as we come together to invest in people and programs to help make our community the very best it can be.”
More about Fort Wayne’s local investments can be found here - https://www.cityoffortwayne.org/images/stories/mayors_office/Annual_Report-2024_-_RECOVERED.pdf