[Archived] Alexandria Federal Stimulus Funding Update

August 3, 2009

News Highlights

• The City of Alexandria has recently been awarded four grants funded by the federal stimulus legislation.
• The City has taken advantage of a provision of the federal stimulus program that allows the federal government to subsidize the interest localities must pay when they borrow money for their capital improvement programs.
• Alexandria continues to pursue federal stimulus funding for unmet needs in public safety, transportation, energy efficiency, job training, homelessness prevention, and pre-school and K-12 education.

More Information

• alexandriava.gov/Recovery 

The City of Alexandria has recently been awarded the following grants, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

• To make security improvements to the Court House; to purchase equipment needed by the Police Department; to improve programs the Court Services Unit oversees for the mentoring of young City residents; and to expand training programs for at-risk youth that are run by the Seaport Foundation, in conjunction with the Court Services Unit: $323,939.
• To train staff who work with sexual assault/domestic violence victims who identify as members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender community: $36,884.
• To (1) increase dental services that are available to low-income Alexandrians, (2) give job training to ex-offenders, and (3) provide utility assistance, including utility management education, to low-income City residents: $240,988 in Community Services Block Grant (stimulus) funds.
• To pay for less-polluting diesel buses for the City’s DASH bus system. Funding will pay the difference in cost between a traditional bus and one that emits less pollution. This grant, when combined with other state money, will provide sufficient funds for approximately seven new buses: $810,000 (through the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association).

The City has also taken advantage of a provision of the federal stimulus program (the use of Build America Bonds) that allows the federal government to subsidize the interest localities must pay when they borrow money for their capital improvement programs; as a result, the City will save approximately $9.5 million in interest costs on capital projects.

The City of Alexandria has been awarded $11.9 million in federal stimulus funds (including the capital improvement program interest subsidy noted above).  The City has been allocated, but not yet awarded, another $5.2 million in funds and has applied for an additional $14.7 million. To date, the Alexandria City Public Schools, Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, and the Alexandria Transit Company are expecting to receive a total of $9.8 million in stimulus funds. This brings the total federal stimulus benefit for Alexandria to approximately $41.6 million.