Improving Neighborhood Outcomes in Disproportionally Impacted Communities

Investments in neighborhood features, including parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks, and healthy food access, can work to improve physical and mental health outcomes.

The application period for this grant program closed on November 18, 2022 at 11:59 PM. All submitted applications are currently under review. 

Investments in neighborhood features, including parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks, and healthy food access, can work to improve physical and mental health outcomes. Allowing people access to nature, including parks, has been connected to decreased levels of mortality and illness and increased well-being.  Urban park use during the COVID–19 pandemic may have declined among lower-income individuals.  Encouraging physical activity can also play a role in health outcomes, as a sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor for chronic diseases and more severe COVID–19 outcomes. Parks, recreation facilities, and sidewalks can promote healthier living environments by allowing for safe and socially distanced recreation during the COVID– 19 pandemic.

The US Treasury final rule includes enumerated eligible uses in disproportionately impacted communities for developing neighborhood features that promote improved health and safety outcomes, such as parks, green spaces, recreational facilities, sidewalks, pedestrian safety features like crosswalks, projects that increase access to healthy foods, streetlights, neighborhood cleanup, and other projects to revitalize public spaces.

The final rule also recognizes that the public health impacts of the pandemic are broader than just the COVID–19 disease itself and include substantial impacts on mental health and public safety challenges like rates of violent crime, which are correlated with a neighborhood’s-built environment and features.

*Program Overview is the Final Rule rationale for allowing the State to create the eligible activity. Please see eligible activity section for specifics.

Applicants must use the  Georgia QCT Tract Dashboard to verify that the project proposed resides within a Qualified Census Tract (QCT) in the state. Applications received that are not within a QCT will not be eligible for review. The September 1-November 18, 2022 application for this program will require the QCT number for your proposed project. 

QCT Tract Dashboard Instructions

1. Go to Georgia QCT Tract Dashboard. 

2. Select County, hit apply.

3. Select Zip Code, hit apply. 

4. Zoom in to verify the address proposed falls within the county/zip code's QCT. 

To reset, hit the home icon on the map. 

All ARPA applicants must have an organization, or subrecipient, that will serve as the fiduciary agent and assume overall responsibility for the grant. Eligible ARPA applicants include:

• A unit of local government
• County
• Non-profits
• The project must occur within a Qualified Census Tract
• Due to the timeframe of the grant preference will be given to projects focusing on revitalization and renovation.

1. Development of or improvements/maintenance to parks or recreational facilities in Qualified Census Tracts in Georgia.
2. Funding for increased repair or maintenance needs to respond to significantly greater use of public facilities during the pandemic (e.g., increased use of parks resulting in damage or increased need for maintenance).

Applicants must use the  Georgia QCT Tract Dashboard to verify that the project proposed resides within a Qualified Census Tract (QCT) in the state. Applications received that are not within a QCT will not be eligible for review.

Policy Requirements: All applicants are subject to reporting and auditing requirements per federal guidelines and OPB terms and conditions.

Recipients of SFRF must alight to policy requirements under 2 CFR 200.

The following 2CFR policy requirements apply to 21.027 assistance listing for Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF), Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSFRF) and Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFRF):

• Subpart B, General provisions
• Subpart C, Pre-Federal Award Requirements and Contents of Federal Awards
• Subpart D, Post Federal; Award Requirements
• Subpart E, Cost Principles
• Subpart F, Audit Requirements

*Additional requirements may be placed on awards are outlined in an executed terms and conditions agreement to accept the award.

Post Award Information: https://opb.georgia.gov/document/document/csfrf-post-award-faqs/download

All payment requests for allowable activity will be paid using a reimbursement method. OPB will not accept proposed changes to this payment method for any subrecipient under this program.

Match funding is encouraged but not required.