This week’s edition of the Office of Recovery Newsletter features an update on the Coronavirus Federal Relief Funding (CRF) that Kansas received in 2020. Kansas’ CRF allocation of $1.034B has now been fully expended. The article below breaks down how the funding was spent to help Kansans respond to the immediate needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also included is information about a new economic development project in Central Kansas funded though the Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) Grant Program. The Grow Hays MicroFactory will be an incubator for small manufacturers to begin and grow their business until they are able to transition to their own space. This facility will begin construction in the next few months.
For the latest Treasury updates and information about resources available to Kansans, see the “Updates to Services and Support” section of this newsletter. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the Office of Recovery website at: COVID.ks.gov
CRF Dollars that Provided Relief to Kansans Have Been Fully Expended
In 2020 Kansas received $1.034 billion in Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) dollars from the federal CARES Act to support the State’s efforts to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years after it was received, Kansas’ allocation of CRF has been fully allocated and expended.
Guidelines for using these relief funds were set by the federal government through guidance documents issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury. Kansas’ investment decisions were determined by the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce, which was composed of business, community, and legislative leaders from across Kansas and county governments with input from stakeholders in their communities.
Additionally, $400 million of Kansas’ CRF allocation was proportionally distributed to all 105 Kansas counties to provide resources to help combat the health and economic challenges local communities faced.
The following table displays at a high level how Kansas allocated its CRF dollars by funding area.
You can review more detailed information on Kansas’ CRF funded initiatives on the Office of Recovery’s website here: COVID Data.
BASE Grant Funded Central Kansas Manufacturing Incubator Breaks Ground
The Grow Hays MicroFactory, a 30,000 Square-foot facility that will serve as an incubator for manufacturers in Central Kansas, broke ground this week. This new facility is one of 35 infrastructure investment projects made possible by the Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) grant program launched by the Kansas Department of Commerce earlier this year.
The Grow Hays MicroFactory will be an incubator for four to six small manufacturers at a time to get their businesses off the ground before moving to their own facilities. The vacated space at the MicroFactory will then be repurposed for the next group of startups and the cycle would start anew.
In April, the Kansas Department of Commerce announced $100 million was being distributed to BASE grant recipients, including $2.6 million to the MicroFactory. BASE was funded with federal COVID-19 relief funds approved by the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Executive Committee. The BASE grant program offered matching funds for economic development infrastructure projects with the goal of expanding business within the state.
“The Grow Hays MicroFactory will be an incubator for small and startup manufacturing companies,” said Doug Williams, Executive Director of Grow Hays Inc. “The facility will be designed specifically to meet the need of manufacturers with various amounts of space allocated to tenants as needed. Rental rates for the space will be well below market rates to ensure businesses have every opportunity to succeed and grow.”
The MicroFactory must complete the project within two years of receiving the award. Local officials expect construction to begin within 30 to 60 days. For information on this project visit growhays.com
Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) Program Closes
The Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program is entering a hold phase. Through this program more than 75,000 Kansans and 10,000 housing and service providers have received more than $250 million in rental and utility assistance, preventing thousands of evictions and providing vital services to more than 30,000 families at risk of losing their homes. A year and a half after the temporary initiative launched, the program is winding down and will close soon.
KERA has now received enough applications to exhaust all funds and has entered the Hold Phase. All applications and recertifications submitted during Hold Phase will be placed on hold and will not be reviewed or processed unless sufficient program funds are available. For more information or questions about each phase, please visit the KERA website.
Federal Funding Available for Several Kansas Counties
On September 29, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the release of Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF) payments to certain counties. The LATCF provides a total of $1.5 billion to “eligible revenue sharing counties” under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
A total of 2,086 local governments, which includes approximately 50 counties in Kansas, are considered eligible revenue sharing counties under the LATCF formula. Click here to see the full list of eligible recipients.
Each eligible county must apply to claim the funding allocated to them. Treasury’s online portal provides application instructions and information on specific funding levels for each eligible county.
The deadline for counties to apply through the Treasury’s online portal is January 31, 2023. Should a county miss the application deadline, it will not be eligible for any LATCF payments.
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