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The Murphy administration has submitted a plan to spend $252.6 million of the $6.2 billion in federal Covid relief money set aside by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to the Senate for approval.

The initial plan, which was sent to the bipartisan Joint Budget Oversight Committee (JBOC) last week, did not include direct expenditures to help New Jersey small businesses. The breakdown of the allocation included:

  • $100 million to support Hackensack University Medical Center
  • $40 million to establish a program within the Department of Community and Affairs and the Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency to “fill Covid-induced funding gaps in already underwritten and in-process affordable housing and community development projects
  • $37.5 million for an eviction protection program within the Department of Community Affairs
  • $25 million for the Exxex-Hudson Greenway project
  • $20 million for Inspira Health’s proposed acquisition of the Salem Medical Center
  • $10 million for the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and the Economic Development Authority to support businesses in urban areas that “have faced economic harms from the reduction in commuters”
  • $5 million for RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers University Behavioral Health to address increased behavioral health needs due to the pandemic
  • $5 million for the Wally Choice Community Center in Glenfield Park in Essex County
  • $5 million for a state marketing program to “highlight the benefits of doing business in New Jersey”
  • $3 million for the “modernization and renovation” of the Emergency Department at Morristown Medical Center
  • $2 million for the Alexander Hamilton Visitor and Education Center at the Great Falls of the Passaic River in Paterson
  • $100,000 for Vernon Township’s environmental remediation efforts

All spending of ARPA funds must be cleared by JBOC, which is expected to confer remotely on Tuesday.

In a statement on Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy said the proposal “will allow us to responsibly fund capital construction and continue using federal dollars for one-time, transformative investments in our residents, communities, and infrastructure.”

Coronavirus, Economic Development