Larson, Manchester Leaders Discuss How American Rescue Plan Funding Will be Used
Manchester, CT – Yesterday, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) visited Manchester and met with Mayor Jay Moran, Town Manager Scott Shanley, and other town officials to discuss how the town will be using $300,000 of the funding they received from the American Rescue Plan to expand their Human Services program. After, they toured the Manchester Area Conference of Churches facility, which offers a community kitchen, food pantry, thrift store, and other services for residents in need.
Rep. Larson speaks with Shannon Baldassario outside the Manchester Area Conference of Churches.
Left to right, Director of Human Service Joel Cox, Ferdinand Cruz, Shannon Baldassario, Rep. Larson, Mayor Jay Moran
"What Mayor Moran and Town Manager Scott Shanley are doing in Manchester is exactly what the American Rescue Plan funding was intended for, to help our communities in need. I appreciated the tour I received, to see firsthand how this federal funding will be used to help those in Manchester," said Larson.
"We are incredibly grateful to Congressman Larson and President Biden for including this much needed funding for municipalities in the American Rescue Plan. Manchester was allocated more than $29 million that will help expand vital human services and programs and help our students, teachers, and schools," said Manchester Mayor Jay Moran.
"This is a great piece of legislation our residents and the State. Few know that Congressman Larson and our delegation had to make specific, detailed, effort to add ‘county equivalency' language to this bill so we, as a County government free State, could still benefit from County targeted funding. This was not an easy task-I thank them for the success," said Town Manager Scott Shanley.
Manchester was allocated $13.8 million in direct fiscal aid and $15.5 million in education funding. Manchester will be using $300,000 in American Rescue Plan funding to address Human Services needs in Manchester, including:
- $150,000 assistance program for first and last rental payments for qualified residents.
- Funding for new social worker to work in conjunction with Manchester Police Department.
- Additional hours for part time social workers in Senior Adult & Family Services.
- Additional Community Services funding in the Human Services Administration division.
- An increase to the subsidy provided to Manchester Area Conference of Churches for homelessness outreach.