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A new study by the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School ranks Dallas among the top-third performing jurisdictions in the country for advancing equity through the investment of local recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
DALLAS - A new multiyear study conducted by the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy (the Institute) at The New School identified Dallas as a leader in investing federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 to advance equity. Dallas scored in the top third of 170 U.S. cities and counties evaluated by the Institute’s Budget Equity Project, which examined how local governments across the U.S. are investing flexible recovery funds from ARPA to support racial and economic equity in their communities.
ARPA provided an unprecedented $130 billion in flexible funding for cities and counties to use for COVID-19 pandemic relief and longer-term, transformational investments. For the first time ever, federal recovery funds were guided by the Biden-Harris administration's path-breaking equity policy by targeting resources to the communities of color, Tribal communities, and lower-income communities disproportionately negatively impacted by the pandemic and systemic inequities.
One recognized project was the establishment of the Eviction Assistance Initiative (EAI) which was essential for communities in greatest need, providing crucial support to Dallas tenants affected by COVID-19. Through education, training, legal counsel, and representation, the EAI effectively helped prevent evictions and fostered housing stability.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua stated, "The Eviction Assistance Initiative was a tremendous feat for the City of Dallas. I’m incredibly grateful for our community partners who helped spearhead this initiative and the city staff who helped me make this initiative a reality for the residents who needed economic support during those first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to staff, I want to recognize National League of Cities (NLC) for their collaborative efforts and valued partnership that helped shape this initiative in its most formative stage of development.”
The Institute’s ARPA Equity Assessment measured performance across six dimensions of equitable public investment: 1) overall equity focus; 2) application of equity tools and institutional infrastructure; 3) community engagement; 4) use of equitable labor practices; 5) breadth and depth of equity investments; and 6) investment transparency/accountability.
The Director of Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Lindsey Wilson stated, “Many of the Institute’s assessment dimensions align with the framework that the City has been using to operationalize equity in our decision-making process.”
Led by economist Dr. Darrick Hamilton, the Henry Cohen Professor of Economics and Urban Policy at The New School, the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy is a leading center for research to understand structural inequalities and identify groundbreaking ways to promote equity.
“The distribution of flexible ARPA recovery funds was part of an unprecedented fiscal response that included some direct investment in the productivity and wellbeing of the American people with some emphasis on historically excluded and disinvested communities,” Dr. Darrick Hamilton, Founding Director of the Institute, said. “The Institute’s Budget Equity Project offers an extensive first look at how local governments are putting ARPA recovery dollars to work in diverse and innovative ways to advance equity and racial inclusion.”
“Our study shows the positive impact and ripple effects of flexible federal recovery funds when anchored by clear equity guidelines,” Sarah Treuhaft, Director of Policy and Partnerships at the Institute, head of the Budget Equity Project, and report co-author, said. “Leading cities are demonstrating that centering equity throughout the process and engaging with the most-impacted communities results in investments that drive transformative change.”
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