U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

AN OVERVIEW OF THE

SLFRF Equity and Outcomes 

Resource Guide & Discussion About 

Implementation

June 2022

* DISCLAIMER: Reference to any commercial products or services in this presentation is not an endorsement or Government sanction of those non-Federal entities, its 

services or products.
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American Rescue Plan

Last year, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law, which has resulted in 

one of the strongest periods of economic growth in a century. 

The American Rescue Plan includes:

• State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which delivers $350 billion for states, territories,

localities, and Tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 emergency and lead a strong,

resilient, and equitable recovery.

Key objectives of this funding:

• Fight the pandemic and support families and businesses struggling with its public health and

economic impacts

• Maintain vital public services, even amid declines in revenue resulting from the crisis

• Build a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery by making investments that support longterm growth and opportunity

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
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SLFRF Implementation Approach

Treasury’s final rule provides greater flexibility and simplicity for recipients to turn the tide 

on the pandemic, maintain vital public services amid revenue shortfalls, and build a strong, 

resilient, and equitable recovery.

NEW FEATURES IN THE FINAL RULE

• In the final rule, there is an expanded set of automatically

eligible uses of funds when provided in disproportionately

impacted communities. This makes it easier for recipients to

address underlying disparities that contributing to more

severe impacts of the pandemic in underserved communities.

More Automatically 

Eligible Uses

• Expansion of eligible populations allows recipients to serve

families and communities hardest hit by the pandemic.

Expanded Eligible 

Populations

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U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
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SLFRF Implementation Approach Continued

Treasury’s final rule provides greater flexibility and simplicity for recipients to turn the tide 

on the pandemic, maintain vital public services amid revenue shortfalls, and build a strong, 

resilient, and equitable recovery.

PROGRAM DESIGN ELEMENTS

• The SLFRF reporting is designed to support equity by

encouraging recipients to engage their communities in

the design of their SLFRF programs.

Structured to 

Encourage Equitable 

Practices & 

Approaches

• The program provided ongoing government-to-government

support to Tribal governments by prioritizing Tribal 

consultations to ensure that the final rule and reporting

approach were tailored to the unique needs of Tribal

governments.

Providing 

Government-toGovernment Support

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U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
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SLFRF Equity & Outcomes Resource Guide

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
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SLFRF Equity and Outcomes Resource Guide Summary

KEY FOCUS OF THE GUIDE

• Goal Setting

• Using Equity Frameworks

• Identifying High Need Populations

• Engaging Underserved Communities

• Convening Leaders

• Using Evidence

• Tracking Outcomes

In the guide, Treasury highlights examples of approaches and tools recipients are using in 

the areas of equity, community engagement, evidence-based investments, and 

performance management. 

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
Peer Discussion

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & 

Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
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Speakers

Leo Flor

Director 

Department of Community and 

Human Services

King County, Washington

Andy Segovia

City Attorney

City of San Antonio

San Antonio, Texas

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

ernment sanction of those non-Federal entities, its services or products.
City of San Antonio Department of 

Diversity Equity and Inclusion

PRESENTED BY: 

ANDY SEGOVIA

CITY ATTORNEY - CITY OF SAN ANTONIO

* DISCLAIMER: Reference to any commercial products or services in this presentation is not an endorsement or Government sanction of 

those non-Federal entities, its services or products.
City of San Antonio – Equity Approach 

to SLFRF

City Council and 

City Manager 

Strongly Support 

Equity Approach

Applies to both 

budgeting process 

and delivery of 

City Services

Budget Equity Tool 

Developed and 

Applied Before 

Pandemic 

Facilitated 

Transition to Using 

Equity on Fiscal 

Recovery Funds
Equity Focused Investments

Arts 

Funding

Public Health 

Accessibility 

Housing and 

Rent relief 

programs

Small Business 

Programs
Public Outreach

MEETINGS HELD 

THROUGHOUT THE 

CITY

FACILITATED BY 

COUNCIL MEMBERS

OUTREACH THROUGH 

SOCIAL MEDIA / 

SURVEYS

FOCUS ON DIGITAL 

DIVIDE
How to Incorporate 

Equity

Start With: 

oTangible

oShort Term

oEasily Measured

oEducate/train Staff on Equity Principles

oCommunity Outreach

oMeasuring of deliverables and outcomes
Example: Street 

Maintenance Program

o Essential City Service

o Community impact daily

o Grading system allowed for easy measurement

o Equity principles worked within Citywide 

funding 
National Perspective

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & 

Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
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Speakers

Sarah Beth Gehl

Executive Director

Southern Economic Advancement Project

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
JUNE 2022

CENTERING EQUITY & ENGAGEMENT 

IN COVID RECOVERY

SARAH BETH GEHL, SEAP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR * DISCLAIMER: Reference to any commercial products or services in this presentation is not an endorsement or Government sanction of those non-Federal entities, its services or products.
SEAP partners with policy thinkers and doers to amplify their efforts and 

bridge gaps in policy infrastructure. We act as a connector, convener, and 

policy entrepreneur across issues and states.

ABOUT THE SEAP

VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.THESEAP.ORG
EQUITABLE RECOVERY

May 24, 2022: White House announces ARP equity stats including...

● “Black Unemployment – largest calendar year drop since 1983 & below 

pre-pandemic rate

● Hispanic Unemployment – record calendar year drop & below 

pre-pandemic rate at just 4.1%

● Asian American Unemployment – down to 3.1%

● Credit Card Delinquencies – which usually hit low-income and Black and 

Latino borrowers hardest – are at record lows

● Strong real income growth for Black and Hispanic workers

● Expanded American Rescue Plan subsidies helped lead to 26% increase 

in Hispanic enrollment and 35% increase in Black enrollment in health 

coverage on HealthCare.gov” 
HOW ARE COMMUNITIES PRIORITIZING EQUITY?

● Phase 1: Setting the stage with equity frameworks

● Phase 2: Asking the community through equitable engagement

● Phase 3: Determining projects with equity assessments

● Phase 4: Showing results with equity metrics
PHASE 1: Equity Frameworks

Harris County, TX ARP equity goals:

● Reversing negative pandemic-related trends and closing gaps

● Building capacity within County government, creating a shared

understanding of and commitment to equity, and developing

tools and practices to support equity-centered solutions.

● Measuring racial and ethnic disparities and incorporating an

equity assessment in each project

● Monitoring investment across the entire program to ensure the

overall portfolio is reaching populations and neighborhoods

most impacted by the pandemic.
PHASE 1: Equity Frameworks

New Orleans, LA City Council passed resolution 

prioritizing equity:

● “NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY 

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW 

ORLEANS, 1. The City of New Orleans 

declares that in utilizing ARP funds, priority 

shall be given to the following: supporting 

economic recovery for all with special 

emphasis to aiding those on the lower end 

of the wage scale, improving public health 

and safety, supporting local businesses 

and workforce development, increasing 

access to and improving the quality of 

public education, improving equity

outcomes, and supporting the housing 

needs in our community.” 
PHASE 2: Equity in Engagement

Denver, CO (pop 716,000)

● Assessment of prior community input

● Tele-townhalls for most at-risk zip codes

● Equity and community-wide focus groups

Lorain, OH (pop 65,000)

● Surveys with 74% of responses from mailed surveys (through

water bills) and 26% from online

Flint, MI (pop 97,000)

● Online survey, email address, drop box at City Hall, mailing

address, and phone number with comments transcribed and

submitted

Harris County, TX (pop 4.7 million)

● Focus groups through local nonprofit with communities of

color, those earning less than $75,000, various age groups and

geographies

State of Colorado Engagement
PHASE 2: Equity in Engagement

● Establish your community engagement goals

○ What is the level of participation sought?

○ What are the metrics for specific 

populations, geographies, etc.?

● Identify existing and potential partners

● Identify tools and process

○ What are the barriers to participation?

● Develop and launch engagement plan and 

outreach activities

IAP2’s Spectrum of Public Participation

Inform

Consult

Involve

Collaborate

Empower
PHASE 3: Equity Assessments

Durham, NC
PHASE 3: Equity Assessments

Harris County, TX equity reflection questions for project assessment:

1. How does your project leverage clear outcome measures and disaggregated data from beginning to

end to identify inequity and ensure programs are prioritizing disproportionately impacted groups? Who

has been disproportionately impacted?

2. How have you analyzed specific factors underlying inequities? What did the analysis reveal?

3. How does your project include voices from disproportionately impacted groups? How have

community members been engaged in project development and / or evaluation?

4. How does your project minimize additional burdens and maximize benefits for disproportionately

impacted groups?

5. How does your project evaluate performance through defined metrics and provide opportunities for

reflection? What do the evaluation and reflection reveal and what changes may be needed?

6. How are you sharing information about the project? Is it reaching people from disproportionately

impacted groups?
PHASE 4: Equity & Accountability

Los Angeles County, CA equity dashboard
PHASE 4: Equity & Accountability

Additional examples

● College Park, MD (pop. 32,000) has

simple presentation with metrics and

date

● Sun Prairie, WI (pop. 34,000) a simple

dashboard with approved spending,

associated goals, and resolutions

● Lakewood, WA (pop. 60,000) has easy

to follow webpage with city contacts

front and center, project updates, and

community input visualizations
Top Takeaways

Pandemic recovery is unlike other disaster recoveries in important ways...and 

so are pandemic recovery dollars.

Equity and engagement practices are not just for large jurisdictions.

Equity should be woven into every stage of the process.
THANK YOU

ARP Toolkit 

www.theseap.org/arp-toolkit-2/

SEAP’s ARP Assistance Team 

southstrong@rooseveltinstitute.org

Local Budgeting: Equity & Voice

Report
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SLFRF Equity & Outcomes Resource Guide: Examples

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
Q&A

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & 

Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
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Thank you.

For More Information about SLFRF: 

Please visit Treasury’s State & Local website 

at www.treasury.gov/SLFRF

For Media Inquiries: 

Please contact the U.S. Treasury Press Office 

at (202) 622-2960

For General Inquiries:

Please email SLFRF@treasury.gov

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds