Community Engagement
The COVID-19 pandemic created an economic and public health crisis, especially felt in Providence’s hardest hit communities. People of color, immigrants and low-wage workers in Providence, and across the state, have been deeply impacted.
That is why the City of Providence is committed to a recovery that centers racial equity, sustainability, and an inclusive economy. The Providence Rescue Plan is part of a larger federal coordinated effort to bring direct and immediate relief to families and workers.
In May 2021, the City of Providence created the COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Task Force, made up of Providence community leaders, to provide recommendations on how to use the City’s ARPA funds, with a commitment to community engagement and ensuring that funding goes where it is needed most.
In addition to the work of the Task Force, the City of Providence directly engaged community members through surveys and business roundtables to inform spending decisions. Learn more about the findings of this community engagement process below.
COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Task Force
On May 6, 2021, the Providence City Council passed a resolution, introduced by former Councilwomen LaFortune, establishing the City of Providence COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Task Force. This resolution charges the Task Force to “balance a long and short term equitable and impactful deployment of stimulus relief funds in the City of Providence” as well as to “provide guidance and make recommendations to the city government” about the use of the $166 million received by Providence as part of the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF).
Former Mayor Elorza and Providence City Council worked to appoint this 14-member Task Force, composed of community leaders representing a wide array of interests and expertise who began meeting on July 23, 2021.
Each Task Force meeting was open to the public. You can see past meetings on the Open Meetings Portal.