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Tag: American Rescue Plan Act

  • Chamblee reopens Dresden Park after 18-month renovation

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    The 24-acre park has a soccer field, playground, and art. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

    CHAMBLEE, GA. – The sun shone, and unseasonable warmth pushed aside December’s usual cold Saturday as Chamblee celebrated the reopening of Dresden Park.

    The City of Chamblee officially reopened Dresden Park on Saturday, Dec. 13, after 18 months of construction, marking the completion of a sweeping, multimillion-dollar renovation that city leaders say reflects both long-term infrastructure investment and the cultural identity of the surrounding community.

    The ribbon-cutting ceremony, held at the 24-acre park on Dresden Drive, drew residents, city officials, and community advocates to celebrate the transformation of one of Chamblee’s most visible public spaces. The project was funded primarily through $10.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, which city officials said were critical to bringing the redevelopment to completion.

    Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

    The renovated park now features a three-tier playground, artificially turfed rectangular fields, tennis courts, a dog park, walking trails, new lighting, terraced seating, a pavilion, expanded parking, and a new community center intended to host after-school programs, public meetings, and neighborhood events.

    Mayor Brian Mock said the reopening represents years of planning, persistence, and coordination between city leadership and residents. He noted that even before the city formally assumed control of the park, local officials recognized the need for significant reinvestment.

    “This isn’t just a park,” Mock said. “If it wasn’t for the American Rescue Plan, we would not be standing here today amongst this incredible new property,” he said, adding that early phases of the project focused on stabilizing the site itself, including more than a year of streambank restoration to prevent erosion and flooding.

    Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

    According to Mock, the scope of the renovation expanded as planning progressed. City leaders identified the need for a dedicated community building, ultimately allocating an additional $2 million from city funds to construct the center, now located within the park.

    “Where is the place where our residents, our neighbors, can gather?” Mock said. “Where can kids have after-school camps? Where can we have community meetings? The building behind us is that answer,” he said.

    City officials also emphasized that the reopening marks a milestone rather than an endpoint. Future phases include expanded sidewalks, additional trail segments, and long-term plans to connect Dresden Park to a larger regional network of greenways and pedestrian paths, including the Peachtree Greenway, which will allow residents to travel safely between neighborhoods without relying on roadways.

    As part of the reopening celebration, the city unveiled a new public art installation titled Project Monarch: The Flight of Fortitude (Proyecto Monarca: El Vuelo de la Fortaleza) by Georgia-based sculptor William Massey. The monarch butterfly sculpture, fabricated from reclaimed metal, was shaped through a community-driven process that included interviews and storytelling sessions with local residents, particularly from Chamblee’s immigrant communities. The approach reflects the city’s demographics, where nearly 39% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, making the monarch a culturally resonant symbol of movement.

    “I’m not a fan of an artist saying, ‘This is what should be here,’” Massey said. “I want to ask the community. You tell me what represents you. You’re looking at it every day,” he said.

    Massey said the monarch butterfly emerged organically during conversations with residents as a shared symbol of movement, perseverance, and hope, particularly within Latin American and Spanish-speaking cultures. The piece took nearly two years to bring from concept to completion.

    Community liaison Tony Guerrero, who helped gather stories and perspectives for the artwork, said the sculpture reflects lived experiences often overlooked in public spaces.

    “No one migrates for fun,” Guerrero told attendees. “People migrate because staying costs more than living, because what lies ahead carries more hope than what was left behind. The monarch reminds us that borders may divide land, but they do not divide humanity.

    City officials said the combination of recreational amenities, infrastructure investment, and culturally responsive public art positions Dresden Park as a central gathering place for one of Chamblee’s most diverse neighborhoods.

    “This isn’t just a park,” Mayor Brian Mock said. “We wanted a place where our residents and neighbors can gather, where kids can have after-school camps, where we can hold community meetings, and really make this the heart of the community.” 

    Officials encouraged residents to explore the park, participate in upcoming programming, and view the installation as a symbol of Chamblee’s evolving identity.

    “This park reflects who we are now,” Mock said, “and where we’re going.”

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  • Mass Layoffs at Harris Center Could Amplify Mental Health Crisis – Houston Press

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    Alma Castillo has worked as a therapist for the Harris Center for 12 years, and while her job is safe for now, more than 180 of her colleagues have been laid off since September, creating what she says are catastrophic conditions for a region already in the throes of a mental health crisis. 

    “The services we provide are essential to the community,” Castillo told the Houston Press. “With everything that is going on in the world right now — people losing their SNAP benefits, issues with people being targeted by ICE — everyone is anxious and on edge. If there are not enough services, it’s going to cost the county more because it will lead to more hospitalizations, homelessness and people going to jail, things that could have been mediated with the proper mental health services.” 

    The Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disability is one of hundreds of agencies statewide affected by the expiration of American Rescue Plan Act funds and a grant from Texans Recovering Together. Positions funded by those two sources make up the vast majority of the layoffs, Castillo said. 

    A county official who asked not to be identified said Thursday the situation isn’t as dire as it’s been advertised. About 83 of the employees whose salaries were funded by the ARPA grant were shifted into other vacant positions at the Harris Center almost immediately, the official clarified.

    Castillo said that’s true, but employees are still questioning their long-term job security, and service cuts have also been made, including the closure of a children’s wellness clinic in northeast Harris County. Clients served by that facility now have to drive to the opposite end of the county or stop receiving assistance, Castillo said.

    Harris Center CEO Wayne Young said the layoffs were a result of federal cuts and would not impact core operations.

    “Several programs were affected by these changes — some because they were designed as short-term initiatives, others through the reduction of specific positions and programs that have been fully discontinued,” Young said in an email to the Press. “In each case, we focused on how we could continue meeting the needs of those we serve through other ongoing programs.”

    Drastic Medicaid cuts are also anticipated as a result of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July. The Texas Hospital Association predicted that the federal cuts would have catastrophic effects on mental healthcare but the full impact remains to be seen. The Harris Center is funded in part by Medicaid and accepts it as a form of payment for services. 

    Harris County, which funds a portion of the Center’s expenses, recently adopted a $2.7 billion budget that included pay raises for law enforcement but slashed services and vacant positions countywide. The county asked its departments, including the Harris Center, to cut their budgets by 10 percent. 

    Some Harris Center employees got their layoff notices the day the county budget was adopted, Castillo said. Several of the workers ended their employment on October 8; others will get to stay on for six months. Positions affected by the layoffs included therapists, crisis line workers, case managers, program managers, psychiatry techs and nursing staff. 

    Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who joined County Judge Lina Hidalgo in voting against the county budget, said last month that the document is morally and fiscally irresponsible. 

    “While families already spend more than they can afford on rent and groceries, we froze or eliminated hundreds of positions in public health, housing, and community services, forcing residents to do more with less,” Ellis said in a September 25 statement. “As the Trump Administration and the state of Texas escalate mass incarceration and strip away civil liberties, our budget doubles down, discontinuing community-based support that could keep youth out of the system.”

    That sentiment was echoed this week by Castillo, vice president of United Workers of Harris Center, a local union that organized about two years ago and “became official” in January. About 30 union members showed up at a Harris Center board meeting earlier this week, asking that services and jobs be reinstated and the agency’s $374 million budget be re-evaluated. 

    Belinda Aguilar, president of Communications Workers of America Local 6222, said at the board meeting that every Harris Center program, from crisis response to early childhood services, depends on the people who show up every day to serve. 

    “When you cut staff, you’re not just cutting positions. You’re cutting access to care for people who need it the most,” she said. “The truth is, layoffs don’t save money. They create turnover, slow down services and cost the county more in the long run.” 

    “These workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” Aguilar added. “This means honest communication, fair notice and real severance.” 

    Union members showed up in force at a Harris Center board meeting this week to protest mass layoffs. Credit: Alma Castillo

    In a petition that now has about 200 signatures, the union lays out specific demands, including 12 weeks’ notice of layoffs, job search assistance and six months of healthcare coverage for those who have lost their jobs. 

    Board members did not respond to the offer of collaboration during this week’s meeting. An agency official told Castillo that they couldn’t discuss the matter because it wasn’t on the agenda. 

    United Workers of Harris Center supported Hilton Americas–Houston workers who went on a 40-day strike and successfully negotiated higher wages and better working conditions. But because Harris Center workers don’t have a contract and are public sector employees, they can’t even use the word “negotiate,” Castillo said. 

    “We don’t have those rights to strike or negotiate,” she said. “We have to collaborate and communicate. I know we’re early on, but so far, that’s been a challenge. We have to get open records and reach out to different people to get answers. I feel like we have people on the board who are supportive. I just don’t know how they can resolve this and what all is being said or done.” 

    According to Young, the Harris Center board has ultimate authority over the organization’s budget but is only involved in hiring decisions related to the CEO.

    The union has been meeting individually with county commissioners, and Castillo said she’s slated to make a presentation before the Harris Center board’s governance committee on November 11. 

    “We’re letting them know what our concerns are and wanting to figure out how we can create stopgaps to save jobs, but, you know, we’re workers. We’re volunteers. We don’t have all the info,” she said. 

    Castillo works as a children’s therapist, helping kids who suffer from depression and anxiety at schools across the Greater Houston area, with a clinic in Pasadena. Her job isn’t in jeopardy because the funding stream through which she’s paid is intact. The layoffs, however, affect everybody, she said. 

    “We’re the largest provider of mental health and IDD services in the state,” Castillo said. “So many things are so important to keeping our community healthy. Just like law enforcement or traditional health care services, I think we’re at that same level.”

    Over the past 10 years, the workforce at Harris Center has increased by 307 employees, but the number of clients has spiked by more than 22,000, Castillo said. 

    Protecting the jobs of healthcare workers equates to protecting lives, union members said at the Harris Center board meeting. 

    “When you attack the workforce, you attack the community,” said CWA District 6 vice president Derrick Osobase. “The people at the Harris Center are the ones holding this safety net together, and we’re not going to stand by while critical care for Harris County families is cut.” 

    According to its website, the Harris Center employs about 2,500 workers and serves more than 80,000 people per year. The Center operates a psychiatric emergency center, jail diversion center, crisis call line, law enforcement co-responder teams, offender/re-entry clinics, juvenile detention services, detox for homeless people and a dual diagnosis residential treatment center

    “The essential programs our neighbors rely on are only possible because of skilled and dedicated workers,” Castillo said. “The [layoffs] disrupt critical care, increase wait times, and push more people into crisis.” 

    Young said that while “recent changes to our funding have required careful adjustments, our commitment to serving Harris County and those who depend on us remains unchanged.”

    “The Harris Center continues to focus on delivering essential, high-quality care to the individuals and families who need us most,” he said.

    Castillo said she’s received no indication that any of the laid-off workers will be reinstated. 

    “I have hope,” she said. “The populations we serve, a lot of them are already vulnerable.  If we’re not there, how are people going to get help? We’re not trying to make people afraid or more anxious than they already are, but this is the reality we’re in, and if we don’t take action, I’m afraid it’s going to get worse.” 

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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    April Towery

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  • Get the Facts: Health insurance expected to rise if tax credits expire amid government shutdown

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    At the core of the government shutdown is a debate about the extension of health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, first implemented in 2021.The shutdown began at the start of the new fiscal year, Oct. 1. In budget negotiations, Democrats were aiming to extend the expanded subsidies, set to expire at the end of 2025, while Republicans have emphasized reopening the government before beginning health care talks.If these tax credits expire, it’s estimated that the more than 24 million people enrolled in marketplace plans will pay twice as much out of pocket, according to Jeanne Lambrew, director of health care reform at the Century Foundation. KFF estimated the average premium payment would increase 114% from $888 to $1,904 without expanded subsidies.Plus, the impacts could be felt even sooner as open enrollment is set to begin Nov. 1 for people to select health insurance coverage for 2026. The ACA, sometimes referred to as “Obamacare,” was designed to make health care affordable and accessible via marketplaces, Lambrew said, who also worked on drafting and implementing the ACA during the Obama administration.The goal of the marketplaces were to fill in the gaps, according to Lambrew. It is for people who make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but also for people who don’t have access to affordable insurance through their work.Enrollment in the ACA has increased since its passage in 2014, but really climbed in the last five years. From 2020 to 2025, enrollment more than doubled as a result of expanded tax credits passed in the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, which increased the subsidies and lifted a cap that disqualified people making four times the poverty level or more from being eligible for the subsidies. Under 2025 guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the federal poverty level is $15,650 for a one-person household. At 400%, it’s $62,600.Nearly all states saw an increase in enrollment under the ACA from 2020 to 2025, with 20 states more than doubling in enrollment.Six states more than tripled in the number of people enrolled under the ACA — Texas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Georgia and Tennessee.States that President Donald Trump won in the 2024 election have the majority of enrollees, according to an analysis from KFF.“We know that three out of four enrollees in the health insurance marketplace live in states that voted for President Trump in 2024,” Lambrew said. “So this is not a partisan issue, it’s a nationwide issue, and it affects people in different ways, but the overall effect is significant.”Who is impacted?The subsidies, also called tax credits, at the center of the shutdown are utilized by about 92% of people enrolled in marketplace plans under the ACA, according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.These expanded credits allow households of different sizes and income levels to be capped with maximum out-of-pocket costs.Once the expanded tax credits expire at the end of this year, the out-of-pocket maximums will increase across the board, and people making above four times the poverty level will become ineligible for any tax credits.More than 6.7% of those who were enrolled in ACA plans earned more than 400% of the federal poverty level, accounting for 1.6 million people. Once the subsidies expire, these enrollees would no longer qualify for the subsidies under the ACA.Also heavily impacted are people approaching retirement age. The age group with the highest enrollment in marketplace plans is ages 55 to 64, data shows. KFF estimated in March that about half the enrollees who would lose the tax credit upon expiration are between 50 and 64.As people grow closer to retirement age, they may not rely as much on employer-provided insurance before turning 65 and qualifying for Medicaid, according to Lambrew.How much would premiums change?KFF has estimated the average premium will more than double next year if the expanded subsidies were to expire.In addition to the potential ending of the subsidies, insurance rates are projected to rise across marketplace plans and employer-provided insurance.”I looked at Medicare history, employer-sponsored insurance history, marketplace history. Without a doubt, this is the highest one-year increase in premiums for people in history,” Lambrew said.The Get the Facts Data Team analyzed maximum out-of-pocket rate changes for benchmark plans to find how rates may change.A one-person household with an annual income of $25,000 — a little more than 1.5 times the federal poverty level — is estimated to go from paying a maximum $100 out of pocket annually to $1,168. They would pay a maximum of less than $98 a month — 10 times more than the previous payment of less than $9 a month.Households with an income between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level made up the largest share of enrollees at almost 45%. Under the expanded subsidies, they aren’t required to pay anything out of pocket for benchmark plans.If the tax credits expire, they will pay a maximum between 2.1% and 4.19% of their income annually. At 1.5 times the federal poverty level, a one-person household would be earning $23,475 annually and may have to pay nearly $984 a year.The interactive below shows how the maximum out-of-pocket rates for benchmark plans may change if expanded subsidies expire for one, two and four-person households at various incomes. Estimates were calculated using maximum out-of-pocket rates from KFF published by the IRS, along with 2025 federal poverty level data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the 48 contiguous states plus D.C. The tool is not intended to calculate an individual’s actual payments. Healthcare.gov and other state marketplaces are the best source for specific premium costs.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

    WASHINGTON —

    At the core of the government shutdown is a debate about the extension of health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, first implemented in 2021.

    The shutdown began at the start of the new fiscal year, Oct. 1. In budget negotiations, Democrats were aiming to extend the expanded subsidies, set to expire at the end of 2025, while Republicans have emphasized reopening the government before beginning health care talks.

    If these tax credits expire, it’s estimated that the more than 24 million people enrolled in marketplace plans will pay twice as much out of pocket, according to Jeanne Lambrew, director of health care reform at the Century Foundation. KFF estimated the average premium payment would increase 114% from $888 to $1,904 without expanded subsidies.

    Plus, the impacts could be felt even sooner as open enrollment is set to begin Nov. 1 for people to select health insurance coverage for 2026.

    The ACA, sometimes referred to as “Obamacare,” was designed to make health care affordable and accessible via marketplaces, Lambrew said, who also worked on drafting and implementing the ACA during the Obama administration.

    The goal of the marketplaces were to fill in the gaps, according to Lambrew. It is for people who make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but also for people who don’t have access to affordable insurance through their work.

    Enrollment in the ACA has increased since its passage in 2014, but really climbed in the last five years.

    From 2020 to 2025, enrollment more than doubled as a result of expanded tax credits passed in the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, which increased the subsidies and lifted a cap that disqualified people making four times the poverty level or more from being eligible for the subsidies.

    Under 2025 guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the federal poverty level is $15,650 for a one-person household. At 400%, it’s $62,600.

    Nearly all states saw an increase in enrollment under the ACA from 2020 to 2025, with 20 states more than doubling in enrollment.

    Six states more than tripled in the number of people enrolled under the ACA — Texas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Georgia and Tennessee.

    States that President Donald Trump won in the 2024 election have the majority of enrollees, according to an analysis from KFF.

    “We know that three out of four enrollees in the health insurance marketplace live in states that voted for President Trump in 2024,” Lambrew said. “So this is not a partisan issue, it’s a nationwide issue, and it affects people in different ways, but the overall effect is significant.”

    Who is impacted?

    The subsidies, also called tax credits, at the center of the shutdown are utilized by about 92% of people enrolled in marketplace plans under the ACA, according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

    These expanded credits allow households of different sizes and income levels to be capped with maximum out-of-pocket costs.

    Once the expanded tax credits expire at the end of this year, the out-of-pocket maximums will increase across the board, and people making above four times the poverty level will become ineligible for any tax credits.

    More than 6.7% of those who were enrolled in ACA plans earned more than 400% of the federal poverty level, accounting for 1.6 million people. Once the subsidies expire, these enrollees would no longer qualify for the subsidies under the ACA.

    Also heavily impacted are people approaching retirement age. The age group with the highest enrollment in marketplace plans is ages 55 to 64, data shows.

    KFF estimated in March that about half the enrollees who would lose the tax credit upon expiration are between 50 and 64.

    As people grow closer to retirement age, they may not rely as much on employer-provided insurance before turning 65 and qualifying for Medicaid, according to Lambrew.

    How much would premiums change?

    KFF has estimated the average premium will more than double next year if the expanded subsidies were to expire.

    In addition to the potential ending of the subsidies, insurance rates are projected to rise across marketplace plans and employer-provided insurance.

    “I looked at Medicare history, employer-sponsored insurance history, marketplace history. Without a doubt, this is the highest one-year increase in premiums for people in history,” Lambrew said.

    The Get the Facts Data Team analyzed maximum out-of-pocket rate changes for benchmark plans to find how rates may change.

    A one-person household with an annual income of $25,000 — a little more than 1.5 times the federal poverty level — is estimated to go from paying a maximum $100 out of pocket annually to $1,168.

    They would pay a maximum of less than $98 a month — 10 times more than the previous payment of less than $9 a month.

    Households with an income between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level made up the largest share of enrollees at almost 45%. Under the expanded subsidies, they aren’t required to pay anything out of pocket for benchmark plans.

    If the tax credits expire, they will pay a maximum between 2.1% and 4.19% of their income annually. At 1.5 times the federal poverty level, a one-person household would be earning $23,475 annually and may have to pay nearly $984 a year.

    The interactive below shows how the maximum out-of-pocket rates for benchmark plans may change if expanded subsidies expire for one, two and four-person households at various incomes. Estimates were calculated using maximum out-of-pocket rates from KFF published by the IRS, along with 2025 federal poverty level data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the 48 contiguous states plus D.C.

    The tool is not intended to calculate an individual’s actual payments. Healthcare.gov and other state marketplaces are the best source for specific premium costs.

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