Where is the City of Austin spending its federal pandemic money? [Video]

AUSTIN (KXAN) — From childcare people can actually afford to shelter for people experiencing homelessness to being better prepared for Texas’ next major weather event, the City of Austin has used its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for 30 different projects.

ARPA funding was intended to help local and state governments handle the pandemic. Austin got $188 million.

Austin budgeted more than $40M in ARPA funding for rapid rehousing, that money is going away

According to an update from city financial staff before city council members Tuesday, the City of Austin has a little more than $30 million still to allocate.

“Those have not been encumbered yet, but the departments have plans to have all the funds encumbered by the deadline of December of this year,” Kerri Lang, budget officer for the City of Austin, said.

According to Lang, eight of the 30 projects the city used that money …