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Long Beach, CA monitors progress on COVID-19 recovery efforts with its Recovery Dashboard
The city introduced the dashboard to track projects funded by the 2021 Long Beach Recovery Act (LBRA). The Recovery Dashboard opens with total ARPA funds allocated and spent in three focus areas - Healthy & Safe Community, Economic Recovery, and Securing Our City's Future. A Program Progress tab lists every LBRA program and whether they are preparing to launch, live, or complete. Focus area tabs show the demographics of program beneficiaries and map programs by ZIP code.
Long Beach, CA
United States
Boulder County, CO Young Leaders Academy boosts youth entrepreneurship and job prospects
The six-month academy was designed to counter educational and career disruptions caused by COVID-19. Eligible participants were aged 16 to 24 and identified as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color. Students completed six weeks of skill-building workshops with $500 incentives for attending 80% of sessions. Participants selected from paid internship, certification, or high school equivalency diploma tracks. Boulder County used federal ARPA funds to recruit partners and pay $6,000 stipends.
Boulder County, CO
United States
Boston, MA responds to neighborhood and citywide COVID-19 trends with new wastewater testing program
The Boston Public Health Commission and Biobot Analytics selected manholes in 11 high-density neighborhoods for the program. Twice-weekly testing results are posted to a dedicated COVID-19 dashboard. Each wastewater report shows an eight-day moving average for each neighborhood and all sites. A citywide variant tracker shows the most dominant variants for the previous four weeks. This approach supports localized health messaging and services based on neighborhood-level data.
Boston, MA
United States
Greater Geelong, VIC surveys young people about pandemic impacts for COVID-19 Youth Impact Report
Residents aged 12 to 25 complete a short survey about the effects of COVID-19 on their health, well-being, and long-term goals. Participants also suggest ideas for how the council can counter pandemic-related challenges. Greater Geelong encourages participation in the one-month survey with a random drawing for an AUD 50 shopping voucher. The Youth Development Unit will combine survey responses with academic research in developing services, events, and other resources for young people.
Greater Geelong, VIC
Australia
Colorado Springs, CO assists pandemic recovery by local businesses with Survive & Thrive program
Colorado Springs and Exponential Impact partner to support businesses during each eight-week program. Participating businesses meet with experts during weekly meetings and learn how to adapt to economic conditions in mentoring sessions. Monthly meetings among Survive & Thrive participants share real-world applications of program lessons. The city used $1.2 million in federal ARPA funds for grants of up to $50,000 per business in 2022.
Colorado Springs, CO
United States
Sacramento, CA ARPA Community Impact Hub increases transparency about federal recovery spending
City officials introduced the Hub to track projects paid for by $112 million in federal ARPA funds. The online portal explains five priority areas for funding including commercial corridor revitalization and the creative economy. Hub users learn about budgeted and spent funds for each priority area through easy-to-read visualizations. Additional features of the ARPA Community Impact Hub include project-by-project budgets and stories about the city's recovery from the pandemic.
Sacramento, CA
United States
Charleston, SC expands opportunities for community feedback with Public Meeting Engagement Portal
The Public Meeting Engagement Portal was built by the city's Office of Innovation in the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic. Community members find upcoming meetings and submit comment forms or sign up to speak using virtual meeting software. Charleston expanded the platform's use across 18 city commissions and added customization based on meeting types. An Impact Dashboard tracks usage statistics like engagements by meeting type and monthly engagement back to April 2020.
Charleston, SC
United States
London Borough of Tower Hamlets, GB helps small businesses change course with Pivot Project
Borough officials worked with Enterprise Nation to help 50 businesses in the midst of COVID-19. Successful applicants received personalized action plans based on local economic conditions and business goals. Each participant used a £1,000 grant for equipment and services necessary for their new business model. Enterprise Nation provided six hours of free support per business along with access to a nationwide network of fellow entrepreneurs facing similar challenges.
London Borough of Tower Hamlets, GB
United Kingdom
Milan, LOM pursues first-in-Europe air sanitization project with local taxi cooperatives
Milan and co-op federation Legacoop are using SanificaAria Minis for air quality improvements in taxis. The Beghelli-designed devices use fans to collect air for treatment with UV-C rays. This process eliminates 99.9% of bacteria and viruses at the source of transmissible diseases like COVID-19. Legacoop placed the devices on the back of front-seat headrests to capture air passing between drivers and passengers.
Milan, LOM
Italy
Cabarrus County, NC streamlines applications for ERAP funding with chatbot and Laserfiche forms
County officials pursued a method for filtering applicants for $6.5 million in Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds. A Laserfiche form gathered applicant information as required by the federal program. Cabarrus County integrated the form with a chatbot that asked additional questions to determine eligibility. This process directed ERAP-ineligible residents to other resources, decreased processing times for eligible applicants, and freed employee time for other tasks.
Cabarrus County, NC
United States
Kolkata, West Bengal adds WhatsApp chatbots for vaccination appointments and vital record requests
Public health officials introduced a WhatsApp chatbot for COVID-19 vaccination appointments to leverage the messaging app's popularity. Residents message +91 8335999000 and their first vaccination date to schedule follow-up appointments. This chatbot was successful enough to expand its reach from three vaccination centers to 100 centers. Kolkata later added a WhatsApp chatbot for birth and death certificate requests accessible by messaging +91 83359999111.
Kolkata, West Bengal
India
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, GB distributes direct aid with Cash Perks messaging service
The council's cash payment system was deemed too complex and slow to help low-income households. Local officials worked with Cash Perks on a pilot program for small grants via text message. Participants without bank accounts received text messages with instructions on how to withdraw between £10 and £500 from ATMs. The Cash Perks system allowed bulk payment processing by the council and recipients instantly accessed funds for essential goods.
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, GB
United Kingdom