About
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spurred global public health and economic crises. Since then, more than 15,000 Wisconsinites lost their lives to the virus. Hard-working families and workers were stretched to the breaking point as communities across the state felt the impact of residents and travelers staying safer at home to slow the spread of the virus.
In response, Governor Tony Evers took swift action to invest nearly $2 billion in federal funds in 2020 from the state's Coronavirus Relief Fund, which was made available to Wisconsin through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Those dollars were invested in pandemic response efforts and in helping Wisconsinites and their families cover the essentials like rent and utilities, to help businesses stay in business, and to help local governments keep essential services operating.
In 2021, the Delta variant pumped the breaks on the state’s recovery. In response, the Evers Administration began to invest an additional $2.5 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to help Wisconsin individuals, families, businesses, and communities still experiencing the impacts of the ongoing pandemic. Overall, the Evers Administration has allocated more than $8 billion and directly invested over $5 billion in federal funds to help Wisconsin individuals, families, businesses, and communities respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Evers was able to get resources to all 72 Wisconsin counties, all 12 federally recognized Tribes, and every community across the state – but the work is not over. The Administration continues to invest in helping Wisconsinites, organizations, small businesses, and communities bounce back even better than before the pandemic.
Learn more about how the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, and all allocations were invested across Wisconsin.
By The Numbers
$5+ Billion
Allocated
1,886,300+
Wisconsinites Helped
118,500+
Small Businesses Supported
22,400+
Wisconsin Farmers Helped
2,490+
Organizations Assisted
2,900+
Local Communities, Schools, EMS Providers and Police Departments Supported
About the Federal Funds Invested
Coronavirus Relief Fund
In 2020, the State of Wisconsin received nearly $2 billion from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Gov. Evers used those dollars to support Wisconsinites across the state, helping over 16,000 households pay rent, assisting more than 1,100 food pantries, and investing in our kids’ childcare and after school programming.
Other investments included $379 million in CARES funds to support more than 53,000 small businesses and restaurants, more than 15,000 farms, and our lodging, hospitality, and tourism industries.
The funds were also used to distribute more than 26 million pieces of PPE and sanitizing supplies, more than 2.7 million testing and lab supplies, and $201 million through our Routes to Recovery program, all for our local communities. Learn more here: badgerbounceback.wi.gov/exploredata#CovidReliefFunds
FEMA Funds
Emergency Rental Assistance Funding
The Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance (WERA) program is funded with two separate allocations from the federal government – the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2020 and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021.
In February 2021, Wisconsin received $322 million in funding for WERA to help families across the state avoid eviction. Some larger communities, as designated by the federal government, received their own funding directly from the federal government.
These communities include Brown, Dane, Milwaukee, and Waukesha counties, as well as the cities of Madison and Milwaukee. In addition to the funding these communities received for resident rental assistance, Gov. Evers’ Administration invested some of the state’s WERA funding in high-need communities.
In March 2021, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which provided another $281 million for emergency rental assistance to Wisconsin.
These funds are being used to help Wisconsinites struggling to pay rent and utilities through September 2025.
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
In 2021, Wisconsin was allocated $2.53 billion under the American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund program (SLFRF).
As of July 31, 2021, the State’s entire allocation has been apportioned into several program categories:
- Pandemic response and government operations
- Infrastructure
- Small business support
- Tourism recovery
- Workforce initiatives
- Economic wellbeing and healthy recovery
- Future response reserve
Using the U.S. Department of Treasury’s eligibility criteria, the Evers Administration is designing high-impact programs that will serve all Wisconsinites. The State of Wisconsin is committed to spending these funds expeditiously, carefully, and effectively to ensure a rapid and equitable pandemic recovery across Wisconsin, while making investments for building a stronger future.