ARPA

Months of fighting between Jackson County legislators resolved just in time this week, when the Legislature passed a plan to keep $70 million in federal funding rather than send it back to the government.

States had until the end of September to distribute federal rescue funds to school districts to help students struggling with housing get equal access to education. Barring extensions, most states will leave money on the table — including several in the Midwest.

Johnson County has until the end of the year to spend $6 million of federal COVID relief funds that were originally bookmarked for a Lenexa homeless shelter. Johnson County Commission chair Mike Kelly wants that money to still go towards housing solutions.

Three years after federal aid was earmarked to ensure homeless students get an education, millions of dollars remain unspent in the Midwest and around the country. In September, what’s left of the one-time funding will be returned to the U.S. Treasury.

St. Louis earmarked millions from the American Rescue Plan Act for homeless services. But after two deep freezes in as many years, the city is just now planning to open a 24/7 "safe haven" shelter for those without housing.

The city of Independence allocated millions in federal COVID relief funding to its police department — for things like sniper rifles and officer bonuses — but little to the health department. Plus: Kansas Jayhawks football has stirred up talk with their early-season success under coach Lance Leipold. But how long will it last?

The city of Independence, Missouri, spent $2 million of its ARPA funding on the police department, more than it allocated to any other department or project. The purchases were labeled as “community violence intervention” in its report to the U.S. Treasury.

With a fraction of millions of American Rescue Plan Act dollars allocated or spent, the city and groups serving the homeless face each other across a divide of paperwork and procedures.