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City reports $533 million spent of $641 million ARPA allocation; recovery office lists timelines and program wins
Summary
Acting chief recovery officer Elizabeth Tatum told the council the city has spent $533 million (83%) of its ARPA allocation and outlined program achievements, agencies lagging on spend, and deadlines and constraints for modifying grant scopes.
Acting Chief Recovery Officer Elizabeth Tatum updated the Council's Budget & Appropriations Committee on Baltimore’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) portfolio and remaining timelines. "As of October 2025 with 14 months remaining before the ARPA expenditure deadline, the city has expended $533,000,000 or 83% of the total allocation," Tatum said.
Tatum summarized ARPA‑funded accomplishments across neighborhoods: ARPA supported the Hammond (a new 109‑unit affordable housing building), stabilization of 35 vacant properties, free public Wi‑Fi at 46 recreation centers, home‑repair benefits for seniors and down payment/renovation assistance used by more than 117 residents through Live Baltimore. She said the recovery office raises modification thresholds as the obligation deadline approaches and can only permit limited scope changes under Treasury rules.
Tatum identified city agencies and quasi‑governmental recipients spending below a revised 75% threshold the office used for this briefing and described planned close‑out timelines: DOT’s sidewalk and ADA ramp work has accelerated (DOT spent nearly $8 million since last year and expects sidewalks completed by April 2026 and ADA ramps by September 2026), DGS capital projects and library HVAC work are scheduled to finish by mid‑2026, and the City Hall roof project is expected to be largely spent by year‑end and complete by December 2026. ARPA funded a roughly $8 million purchase of the Fairfield Inn for shelter and conversion predevelopment for two city‑owned hotels, she said.
Tatum said the recovery office uses a set of criteria to prioritize modifications and monitor grantees — contract status, average monthly spend, upcoming milestones, controllable delay risk and mission alignment — and that the office has contracted the University of Baltimore to perform evaluations of nine priority programs. She also noted recent grant adjustments to speed spending for projects such as Downtown RISE and additional awards to Live Baltimore to meet community demand for down‑payment assistance.
Council members asked for details about street maintenance, concrete versus asphalt choices, and the pace of DOT spending; Tatum said some material decisions and citywide resurfacing strategies are outside ARPA timelines but that the office is focusing ARPA investments on shovel‑ready projects and contract amendments that can be executed quickly.
