Capitol Beat: Kemp announces $250 million for parks and recreation in low-income communities
“Though we have long since turned the corner on the pandemic, we know there are still some lingering public health impacts of Covid-19 that are broader than the disease itself,” Kemp said. “They include mental health challenges and unhealthy physical conditions caused by isolation.”
Kemp said keeping parks and recreation facilities open during the COVID pandemic allowed Georgians to continue to exercise and get fresh air .
“We were met with resistance at times on this approach, but we prevailed in giving both Georgians and numerous out-of-state visitors safe options,” Kemp said.
“By carefully investing these funds, we’re helping communities further move past the effects of the pandemic and become healthier.”
Each approved project will be eligible to receive up to $2 million. Applications will be accepted from Sept. 1 to Nov. 18 and a virtual applicant workshop will be held on Sept. 6. More information about applying can be found on the program’s website.
WABE: Georgia to spend $250M in COVID-19 cash to aid recreation
Gov. Brian Kemp is earmarking $250 million in federal COVID-19 relief for neighborhood recreation improvements in some of Georgia’s poorest areas.
The state says it will prefer overhauls of existing facilities because the money must be spent by Oct. 31, 2026. The state Office of Planning and Budget will begin accepting applications Thursday, with plans to decide which grants will be awarded in January.
Grants of up to $2 million per project can be used by local governments or nonprofit groups to improve, repair or maintain parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks and healthy food access, Kemp announced Tuesday.
The state says encouraging physical activity and healthy eating improves health because parks and recreation facilities allow for socially distanced recreation despite COVID-19.
AJC: Kemp to create $250M grant program for neighborhood improvement
Gov. Brian Kemp announced the new “Improving Neighborhood Outcomes in Disproportionally Impacted Communities” grant program Tuesday. The money will give hamlet-sized help to qualified neighborhoods for repairing parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks and access to healthy food.
Grants of up to $2 million per project can be used by local governments or nonprofit groups to improve, repair or maintain parks, recreation facilities, sidewalks and healthy food access, Kemp announced Tuesday.
The money can be spent in census tracts with poverty rates generally worse than 20% in 2019. Statewide, Georgia has a poverty rate of 14%, according to the Census Bureau.
Kemp on Monday announced $62 million in awards of up to $5 million apiece to use federal COVID-19 aid to 20 nonprofit groups that will use the money to combat homelessness. In recent weeks, Kemp has also announced $125 million for school-based health centers, $37 million to help students catch up on learning they missed during the pandemic, and a whopping $1.2 billion on payments of $350 apiece to poorer Georgians.
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