Rep. Sweeney announces more than $250 million in funding for infrastructure projects, health and safety programs across Ohio

Today, Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) announced that the state Controlling Board approved several major items this week, including the allocation of a combined $49.3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to provide support for students and young adults with disabilities, enhance local health departments’ COVID-19 vaccination efforts, mitigate COVID-19 outbreaks, fulfill needs of older Ohioans, help Ohioans with mental illness, decrease youth homelessness, and boost ongoing planning and project development efforts in Appalachia.

The Controlling Board approved additional items to support Ohioans’ health, allocating $90 million to purchase COVID-19 tests, $2.4 million to provide telehealth services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, $617,800 for safe sleep kits and safe sleep education, and $78,200 for breast and cervical cancer screening.

“These state and federal dollars will improve government services for the public and provide a higher quality of care for some of Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens, who are most affected by the ongoing public health emergency,” said Rep. Sweeney. “As the lead sponsor of House Bill 1, I gladly approved education studies that will help to fully implement the Fair School Funding Plan, especially for students who are gifted, require special education, or who are English language learners.”

The Controlling Board approved other measures Monday to support education, housing and infrastructure projects, including:

• $104.9 million for highway construction;
• $3 million to conduct education studies recommended by the Fair School Funding Workgroup;
• $1 million for the Community Housing Impact and Preservation program to support affordable housing;
• $750,000 to build housing units for chronically homeless individuals with disabilities.