Mayor Ginther to Attend Communities in Action: Building a Better Ohio At the White House on Wednesday
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther will be attending a White House forum on Wednesday that highlights how recently-passed federal programs are helping residents across Ohio and right here in Columbus.
“I cannot overemphasize how much the Biden-Harris Administration has positively impacted Columbus residents,” said Mayor Ginther. “American Rescue Plan funding allowed us to provide additional funding for shelters, substantial rental and utility assistance for residents, and expanded summer programming for our young people who lost so much during the pandemic.”
Allocation of ARPA funding from the City of Columbus includes:
$24 million for human services organizations to continue their much needed work for our most vulnerable residents
$5 million in small business support to help them stabilize during the pandemic
$22 million in youth programming to get young people engage
$39 million in rental and utility services for residents struggling to make ends meet
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August, lowers prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries. Diabetes patients will benefit from a guarantee that their much-needed insulin costs are capped at $35 for a month’s supply, and three million more Americans will have health insurance than without the law.
Another benefit of the Inflation Reduction Act for Ohio residents is the measures for clean energy. Families can take advantage of up to $7,500 in tax credits for buying electric cars and a 30% tax credit for installing solar panels on their homes. In addition, clean energy will create millions of good-paying jobs.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has already started making an impact in Ohio by providing approximately $9.8 billion over five years to rebuild highways and bridges. With the increase in electric vehicles, residents will also need charging stations. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has earmarked $150 million over five years to support the expansion of electric vehicle charging across the state.
“I look forward to the transformative changes these initiatives will make for the residents of Columbus and across Ohio,” said Mayor Ginther.