BANGOR, Maine — Communities across the nation are doing their best to recover from the pandemic. A large part of the recovery: federal money coming from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
All 16 of Maine's counties and six municipalities are receiving ARPA money.
Some cities, like Portland, have already decided how much of their money will be spent, but Bangor city leaders are still considering options for the city's $20.48 million.
"We're just trying to be thoughtful about every opportunity and way[s] to make investments," Bangor city manager, Debbie Laurie said during a Dec. 14 city meeting.
In that meeting, leaders identified housing, mental health, substance use disorders and child care among their top priorities.
"Everybody is facing the same problem: the escalating cost of housing and the congested pipeline and how long it's going to take to get these projects online," Laurie said.
Broadband access is also a major issue.
"I don't think any of us really understood the impact of that until the pandemic hit," she said. "It's great that you say fiber is an essential infrastructure, but when the pandemic hit it really showed the disproportionate impacts within our community."
Penobscot County Commissioners will releasing a new round of grants on Tuesday. The county received $29.5 million in federal relief funding and spent about $2 million on a first round of grants to nonprofits and charitable organizations.
In addition to Bangor's $20 million, the city is interested in partnering with the Penobscot County Commissioners to help get more relief funds into the community.
Bangor's ARPA funds must be spent by December 31, 2026.