Divided Council Reaches Deal on Leftover Federal Pandemic Funds

The Milwaukee Common Council just decided how to spend the last remaining federal pandemic relief money in this pot of ARPA funds. The council approved $617,214 for two programs: the Bridge Project, which gives direct cash assistance to low-income mothers, and the Legal Aid Society’s Eviction Free MKE program, which provides legal help to people facing eviction. The vote was divided, passing 10-5, after earlier versions of the plan had failed.

This matters to Milwaukee residents because these dollars are going to programs aimed at some of the city’s biggest ongoing needs: housing stability and family support. Eviction prevention can help keep people in their homes, while direct cash assistance can give struggling mothers flexibility to cover urgent expenses like rent, food, child care, or utilities. Since the money is leftover federal funding that is about to expire, the council had to decide quickly how to use it.

What happens next is that the city will move forward with the approved allocations and send the money to the two programs. City staff also expect there may be one more chance to reallocate additional ARPA funds later, likely in August or September, if more money is identified. That means the council may revisit this issue again before the federal grant is fully closed out.