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Task force staff: ARP funds exhausted for home-repair and sewer-connection programs; new funding needed
Summary
Town staff told the Gullah Geechee task force that American Rescue Plan Act funding that supported the home safety/repair and lateral sewer connection programs has been encumbered; staff urged the task force and residents to press the town and partners for new funding to sustain work that served mainly historic neighborhoods.
Sharonica Gavin, principal planner for historic neighborhoods, told the Gullah Geechee Land and Cultural Preservation Task Force on Thursday that the town’s home safety and repair program and lateral sewer connection program have exhausted the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that previously supported them.
“As of December 2024, we've received 147 applications for home safety and repair,” Gavin said, noting 113 completed applications and, per her report, 72 completed projects and 34 jobs currently under contract. She said earlier ARPA allocations—about $900,000—were restructured and encumbered so work could proceed through the end of the fiscal encumbrance period, and that staff is now seeking sustainable funding to continue the programs.
Gavin said the lateral sewer connection program has received 48 applications (32 complete) and currently has four jobs under contract; approximately $70,000 was awarded earlier this year and that funding has also been extended while staff pursue additional sources.
Task force members asked whether the town maintains a budget line for either program. Gavin said she is unaware of a dedicated town budget line at this time and that most of the prior funding was federal (ARP). She said staff will meet with the town grants administrator and will explore partnerships—including outreach to Buford Jasper Housing Trust and community organizations—to identify additional funding. “I will provide each of you with a breakdown of all the funds from the inception of the program, July 2022 to December, showing where funding came from,” Gavin said.
Residents at the meeting pressed for clarity and for ways citizens can influence budgeting. Margaret Reed Johnson, who identified herself as a community resident, asked bluntly: “How has it happened that the funding has run out?” Gavin replied that projects already under contract are funded and that staff intentionally encumbered those funds; she encouraged residents to attend meetings and contact their council members and the town manager to make funding a budget priority.
Several task force members urged collecting testimonials from program beneficiaries to strengthen appeals for town funding. Gavin said she will prioritize assembling outcome data and testimonials to demonstrate program impact when speaking with the town and potential funders.
Gavin and members repeatedly noted that most projects supported by both programs are located within the town’s historic neighborhoods, and that sustaining the programs is a priority for the task force’s 2025 work plan.
Next steps: Gavin will provide the requested funding breakdown from program inception through December and will report back on grant- and partner-outreach efforts; task force members and residents were encouraged to raise the programs during upcoming council budget conversations.
