East Bay cities will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds

East Bay cities will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds through the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion package passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden. 

The money will be used to support public health, help families struggling with food insecurity or lack of housing, assist small businesses, invest in water and sewer infrastructure and aid communities hardest hit by the crisis. 

 The U.S. Treasury Department announced funding allocations for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments, including:

  • State of California:                 $27 billion
  • Alameda County:                    $324,636,065
  • City of Oakland:                     $188,081,700
  • City of Berkeley:                    $66,646,289
  • City of Alameda:                    $28,679,908
  • City of San Leandro:              $18,639,484

California also will receive $1.2 billion for governments with populations of less than 50,000, which includes the cities of Albany, Piedmont and Emeryville.

 "Everyone in the East Bay community has struggled in this pandemic, in particular Black and Brown communities that have been hardest hit in this crisis," Congresswoman Barbara Lee said in a statement. "This money also will support an equitable recovery from this crisis with aid to communities and populations that have been disproportionately harmed."