Barnett Wright |The Birmingham Times
On Thursday, Birmingham City officials announced that $141 million in federal relief funds were used for nearly 200 local projects from creating a comprehensive response to violent crime to helping families and small businesses thrive.
The funds came from American Rescue Plan Act the city received after the Covid pandemic of 2020 to help cities and states get through the crisis of a near-shutdown of the U.S. economy through mandated lockdowns.
“This is an unprecedented investment in Birmingham’s future,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “We are committed to using every dollar to make our city stronger, fairer, and more prepared for tomorrow.”
Woodfin and members of the Birmingham City Council gathered at City Hall on Thursday to discuss how the money was allocated.
“It’s really remarkable to think about where we were just five short years ago, the entire world gripped by uncertainty, isolation and fear of what’s to come,” said Birmingham City Council President Darrell O’Quinn. “No one knew what to expect … We were able to maximize the impact across the city on a really localized level.”
Key investments include:
- Transportation projects: $25.7 million (includes Birmingham Xpress, street improvements)
- Affordable Housing: $13.8 million (examples include Veranda at Graymont, Belview Heights housing development)
- Safe and Healthier Neighborhoods: $11.6 million
- Blight Removal: $9.6 million
- Job Training and Unemployment Reduction: $8.5 million
- Small Business and Non-Profit Support: $8.5 million (examples include forgivable loans)
- Community Violence Prevention: $5.5 million
- Retention Pay: $5 million
- Storm Water Management Upgrades: $2.8 million
- Education: $4 million
All available funds have been allocated to projects. The city must finish spending all those funds by Dec. 31, 2026.
The city released a 23-page report detailing expenditures and funding partners. A full project list of Birmingham’s ARPA projects and funding is available on the city’s website: www.birminghamal.gov/ARPA.
