On Tuesday, Raleigh city leaders moved forward with a plan to spend $1.35 million in surplus funding from the city’s Capital Reserve Fund on a combination of downtown cleanliness and safety initiatives, as well as resources for the city’s homeless population.
The plan discussed Tuesday — which could see a vote at the city council’s meeting on May 21st — would set aside roughly $750,000 for downtown initiatives, while the rest of that $1.35 million surplus would go towards efforts to combat homelessness, not only downtown but citywide. Several city councilors pointed out the rise of “tent cities” in Raleigh, including several that have recently been broken up.
“When I think about a downtown strategy, I’m thinking about everyone who lives downtown, everyone who visits downtown, everyone who works downtown, who comes downtown, and I think that’s a population that I can always see the need that we support more,” said Jane Harrison, city councilmember for District D.
Separate from that $1.35 million surplus, city council also passed a by vote that would dedicate leftover money from the American Rescue Plan Act to fund many of the same