Baltimore's ARPA funds: Office of Recovery Pgms' Shamiah Kerney

By Tom Hall,

Teria Rogers, Rob Sivak, Malarie Pinkard-Pierre

Published April 12, 2023 at 12:30 PM EDT

Shamiah Kernbey is Chief recovery Officer in the Mayor's Office of recovery Programs, which was formed in 2021 to administer the allocations of the $641 million that Baltimore City received through the American Rescue Plan Act. (Mayor's Office photo) — Shamiah Kerney is Chief Recovery Officer in the Mayor's Office of Recovery Programs, which was formed in 2021 to monitor the allocation of the $641 million that Baltimore City received through the American Rescue Plan Act. (Mayor's Office photo)

Now, Tom is joined by Shamiah T. Kerney, the Chief Recovery Officer in the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs, an office set up by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scottto oversee the distribution of the $641 million dollars of funds allocated for the city from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

President Biden signed the ARPA measure into law in March of 2021, with the aim of assisting communities across the nation in their ongoing recovery from the dislocations caused by the COVID pandemic. The city's Office of Recovery Programs was established in July of that year.

The first announcements about which agencies and organizations would be receiving the funds were made in the fall. The city has until the end of next year to finish designating who gets the ARPA money, and until 2026 to have spent it.

Shemiah Kerney joinsTom in Studio A to discuss the Office of Recovery Programs' important work.

The Mayor's Office of Recovery Programs was established in 2021 to monitor the distribution of the $641 million in ARPA funds allocated to the City of Baltimore . (image courtesy Mayor's Office)