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American Rescue Plan Act
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law to provide federal funding to local governments for response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is in addition to the $121.5 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds that Lake County allocated in 2020 to support our residents, communities, taxing districts, businesses, and countywide services in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ARPA provided $135.2 million in direct local recovery assistance to Lake County Government. The funding that Lake County received is supporting projects and programs to improve lives, solve problems, and make our County more resilient to future challenges.
The Lake County Board has remained committed to both addressing immediate pandemic response needs and pursuing long-term equity-informed initiatives. Lake County’s focus has been to maximize strategic investments that benefit residents for years to come by funding improved outcomes rather than short-term fixes. Learn more by viewing Lake County's annual recovery plans:
Lake County 2021 Recovery Plan (PDF)Lake County 2022 Recovery Plan (PDF)
Lake County 2023 Recovery Plan (PDF)
Funding Distribution
The Lake County Board established a Special Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery and Investments. This committee actively worked to assess and prioritize potential projects and programs under the Lake County Forward initiative.
Counties have broad discretion over how to spend ARPA resources, but there are constraints set by the US Treasury that Lake County must follow. Lake County established task forces that aligned with the US Treasury’s compliance guidance.
Below is a summary of programs and projects that are being funded:
| Construction of affordable housing in Highland Park (8 Units) | $500,000 |
| Construction of a permanent fixed-site PADS shelter for those experiencing homelessness | $7,060,000 |
| Emergency Rental Assistance Program continuation | $6,000,000 |
| Eviction mediation program | $130,000 |
| External organization projects focused on negative economic impact, public health, and capital | $15,666,390 |
| Food distribution | $2,000,000 |
| Food distribution to homeless | $227,000 |
| Food, shelter & rental assistance to veterans | $393,902 |
| Highwood affordable housing development (44 Units) | $1,400,000 |
| Libertyville senior housing - Creation of new affordable housing units (32 Units) | $1,500,000 |
| Non-congregate sheltering of people experiencing homelessness | $840,000 |
| Preservation of affordable rental housing in Mundelein/Lake Zurich (7 Units) | $1,540,000 |
| Services for unhoused persons | $50,000 |
| Staffing for Emergency Rental Assistance Program | $300,000 |
| Total | $37,607,292 |
| Antioch sanitary sewer project - Channel Lake / Lake Catherine Phase - Design | $1,000,000 |
| Broadband infrastructure | $11,945,303 |
| Depke Juvenile Justice Complex renovation | $8,000,000 |
| Des Plaines River Water Reclamation Facility - Disc Filter Installation | $6,300,000 |
| Des Plaines River Water Reclamation Facility - High-Efficiency Blower Installation | $1,500,000 |
| Des Plaines River Water Reclamation Facility - Ultra-violet Disinfection Treatment | $5,500,000 |
| Highland Lake Water System improvements | $2,500,000 |
| Mill Creek Water Reclamation Facility - Ultra Violet System Replacement | $1,000,000 |
| Native tree plantings for clean water | $2,500,000 |
| Pekara Water System - Lake Michigan Interconnection | $1,100,000 |
| West Oak Middle School and Oak Terrace Project | $2,500,000 |
| Total | $43,845,303 |
| Business incentive fund - Hospitality organizations | $250,000 |
| Job training assistance | $3,600,000 |
| Marketing campaign to support Lake County hospitality businesses | $150,000 |
| Total | $4,000,000 |
| COVID-19 call center (Staffing and software) | $883,520 |
| Epidemiologist support | $159,000 |
| Hybrid meeting architecture for Lake County Health Department Facilities | $142,000 |
| Mental health counselors - Lake County Children's Advocacy Center | $387,720 |
| Pandemic health navigator technology licensing | $169,959 |
| Vaccination orchestration suite software licenses | $172,418 |
| Total | $1,914,617 |
| Broadband county-wide plan development | $500,000 |
| County Clerk/Recorder's Office system implementation | $2,150,000 |
| Compliance and oversight of external applications through 2026 | $437,640 |
| Consultant for the administration of ARPA - External request support | $126,915 |
| Consulting for the administration of ARPA | $55,860 |
| Coroner's Office storage and saw | $50,000 |
| County Building 10th Floor audio visual (AV) improvements | $100,000 |
| Central Permit Facility large conference room audio visual (AV) upgrade project | $215,000 |
| Election Day equipment upgrades - On-demand ballot printing | $1,105,000 |
| ePollbooks upgrade | $425,500 |
| Grant recipient tracker database | $100,000 |
| Integrated case management system implementation | $2,200,000 |
| Microsoft Teams replacement of existing phone system | $900,000 |
| Personal protective equipment (PPE) warehouse | $325,000 |
| Premium pay program for County's front-line staffing during the pandemic | $1,200,000 |
| Program and reporting administrative support to ensure ARPA funding is used appropriately | $381,550 |
| Public engagement support costs | $40,000 |
| State's Attorney's Office document scanning digitization for incident case management system | $344,221 |
| State's Attorney's Office Gun Violence Prevention Initiative | $559,809 |
| State's Attorney's Office Victim Witness Coordinator | $91,194 |
| State's Attorney's Office video conversion and storage | $271,000 |
| State's Attorney's Office Violent Crimes Unit | $251,357 |
| Vote by Mail Room renovation | $1,105,000 |
| Voting equipment and related expenses to support voting by mail | $2,000,000 |
| Total | $14,935,046 |
| Construction of the Regional Operations and Communications Facility | $17,400,000 |
| Enterprise resource planning system software replacement | $15,000,000 |
| Firefighting foam replacement | $66,500 |
| Sheriff's Office Mobile Command Center replacement | $525,000 |
| Total | $32,991,500 |
ARPA Funded External Projects
Lake County accepted ARPA program and service requests from Sept. 30 - Oct. 31, 2022, from nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations, and local units of government other than municipalities to aid in the response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the August 8, 2023 meeting, the Lake County Board approved appropriating $15.6 million of the $135.2 million of the ARPA funds.
View the list of projects that were approved to receive funding below, including a brief description of each one and the amount that was allocated:
| Allendale Association, Inc.: Hope and Healing | Allendale Association, Inc. is an organization that provides in-home mental health services for youth and families. Funding was allocated to pay for additional staff to continue providing these services. | $169,432 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Lake County: Teen Innovation Lab | Boys & Girls Club of Lake County was allocated $1,050,000 to build a Teen Innovation Lab in Waukegan to address the academic disparities experienced by students in low-income communities. | $1,050,000 |
| CASA Lake County: Court Appointed Special Advocate Program | Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Lake County were allocated $864,900 to expand their offices and to pay the salaries of new staff to meet increased demand caused by the pandemic. | $864,900 |
| Community Partners for Affordable Housing: Lake County Affordable Housing Hub | The Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) was allocated $500,000 for the acquisition and buildout of a 7,500 sq. ft. commercial space on the first floor of a senior housing development that CPAH owns. This space will provide CPAH an opportunity to expand and provide low- and moderate-income individuals with support and services related to housing such as homeownership programs and home repair. | $500,000 |
| Community Partners for Affordable Housing: Lake County Senior Residences | Community Partners for Affordable Housing was allocated $3,000,000 to develop affordable housing for seniors in Lake County. | $3,000,000 |
| Erie Family Health Center, Inc: Behavioral Health Supports for Lake County Families | Erie Family Health Center, Inc. (Erie)was allocated funds to pay the salaries of two new psychiatrist staff members. These new staff will help address the county's increased need for mental health services. | $252,211 |
| Gateway Foundation, Inc.: Strengthening Recovery Support & Resources | Gateway Foundation, Inc. (Gateway) was allocated funds to hire three new staff members (a program director, specialist, and event coordination support) to provide health services for individuals suffering from substance abuse. | $378,151 |
| JCFS Chicago: Behavioral Health Supports to Low-Income Lake County Resident | JCFS Chicago (JCFS) was allocated funds to pay for one full-time staff salary for the years 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2007. This staff member provides mental health counseling services to disadvantaged and low-income individuals. | $288,879 |
| Nicasa Behavioral Health Services: Care Coordination for Behavioral Health | Nicasa Behavioral Health Services (Nicasa) was allocated $600,000 to implement a care coordination program to serve all the individuals under Nicasa's substance abuse and mental health services. The funds will be used to hire staff, as well as IT equipment, and other program costs. | $600,000 |
| Nicasa Behavioral Health Services: First Responder and Veteran Wellness Center | Nicasa Behavioral Health Services (Nicasa) was allocated $2,368,150 to remodel and furnish a building that was donated for their services, as well as hire new staff (one full-time clinical supervisor, 1.5 full-time Counselors, two full-time Peer Specialists) to expand their current mental health services to first responders and veterans. | $2,368,150 |
| North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic: Family Safety Planning Legal Services | North Suburban Legal Aid Services was allocated $200,000 to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. | $200,000 |
| North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic: Housing Legal Services for COVID impacted Clinics | North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic was allocated $200,000 to provide legal aid services to individuals facing housing insecurity. | $200,000 |
| PADS Lake County: Non-congregate Shelter Budget | PADS Lake Countywas allocated $1.36 million to provide non-congregant shelter services (re. provide hotel rooms) for unhoused Lake County residents. | $1,360,000 |
| Roberti Community House: Behavioral Health Mental Health and Wellness | Roberti Community House (Roberti) was allocated funds to pay for costs associated with providing mental health and wellness services. Roberti will hire a new staff member trained to provide these services, and a part-time Spanish-speaking support staff member. Other program costs are also included (IT, communication equipment, and rent). | $77,320 |
| The Josselyn Center, NFP: COVID-19 Mental Health Capacity Building | The Josselyn Center (The Center) was allocated $3,000,000 to complete the unfinished interior space of a building in downtown Waukegan that the Center will use to expand its current mental health service offerings as well as to pay for staff salaries and other related expenses. | $3,000,000 |
| Wauconda Fire Protection District: Cardiac Monitor & AEDs | The Wauconda Fire Protection District (WFPD) was allocated $51,600 to purchase a cardiac monitor defibrillator and three auto external defibrillators. The linkages between cardiac distress and COVID-19 have been well documented and this project will provide WFPD personnel with additional diagnostic tools and treatments, which will positively impact patient outcomes. | $51,600 |
| Waukegan Park District: McAlister Special Recreation Building Renovation | The Waukegan Park District (WPD) was allocated $150,000 to renovate and rehabilitate a vacant building in Waukegan, Illinois. | $150,000 |
| Wauconda Fire Protection District: Mobile Integrated Healthcare | The Wauconda Fire Protection District (WFPD) was allocated funding for its Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) program. This includes the purchase of a new vehicle and maintenance, salaries for paramedics, operating expenses, and medical equipment. | $260,044 |
| YBLC, Inc d/b/a YouthBuild Lake County: Affordable Housing Construction and Training | YBLC was allocated funding to pay for the costs of purchasing and renovating a home, and building two homes on vacant lots currently owned by YBLC. Additionally, this will support the education programs that YBLC offers to low-income youth (16-24 years of age) to help them attain a GED, and skills for trade work that these individuals then use on housing projects for YBLC. | $477,500 |
| YWCA Metropolitan Chicago: Health Promotion and Navigation Services Program | YWCA Metropolitan Chicago (YWCA) was allocated $418,203 for its Health Promotion and Navigation Services Program. This program is intended to provide education, outreach, health screenings and diagnostics, referrals, follow-up care, and assisting individuals to access basic needs. | $418,203 |
| Total | $15,666,390 |
Strategic Plan Driven Recommendations
Lake County utilized a number of community-driven and other organization-based strategic plans that served as road maps to guide decisions for the future. The following are examples of plans that influenced how Lake County prioritized and invested resources:
- Lake County Strategic Plan
- Housing and Community Development Consolidated Plan (PDF)
- Community Health Improvement Plan (PDF)
- Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (Ongoing)
- ARPA Public Input Information and Comments (PDF)
Watch Special Committee on
COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery and Investments
| July 28, 2023 | Agenda | Video |
| June 2, 2023 | Agenda | Video |
| April 28, 2023 | Agenda | Video |
| April 21, 2023 | Agenda | Video |
| March 3, 2023 | Agenda | Video |
| February 3, 2023 | Agenda | Video |
| August 26, 2022 | Agenda | Video |
| June 3, 2022 | Agenda | Video |
| April 29, 2022 | Agenda | Video |
| March 25, 2022 | Agenda | Video |
| February 23, 2022 | Agenda | Video |
| February 10, 2022 | Agenda | Video |
| December 10, 2021 | Agenda | Video |
| November 19, 2021 | Agenda | Video |
| November 5, 2021 | Agenda | Video |
| October 15, 2021 | Agenda | Video |