Tech Goes Home has received funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to improve digital inequity in Boston.
The Boston City Council voted last week to award the Boston-based nonprofit $2 million from the relief funds. Tech Goes Home announced the funding Monday morning and said the ARPA money would allow it to engage with more than 100 new community-based organizations across Boston.
Tech Goes Home partners with Boston organizations to provide residents with digital devices, internet and digital-skills training. Much of this programming transitioned online during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is a transformative investment that will allow Tech Goes Home to reach even further into communities across Boston and connect those in need with the tools and resources they require to participate in the digital world,” Marvin Venay, the nonprofit’s chief advocacy officer, said in a statement.
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The ARPA funding will also allow Tech Goes Home to increase its headcount and support for instructors, the nonprofit said. Its staff helps Boston residents connect with new federal programs offering more affordable, reliable internet access. Tech Goes Home estimated it will be able to help 4,500 households per year over the next four years access these federal programs.
“The Covid-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on the impact of digital inequity, and we are grateful to City Councilor Bok, who advocated for this funding, as well as Councilors Flynn, Mejia, and every member of the Council who recognized the critical importance of advancing digital equity efforts as part of a just, equitable, and sustainable recovery,” Venay said.
Tech Goes Home’s new funding comes from a pot of $367 million in federal pandemic relief funds that the city council approved last Wednesday, up from the $350 million proposal Mayor Wu had presented to the council.
The city previously appropriated $95 million in APRA funds for an emergency-relief package, a fare-free bus pilot and small businesses’ emergency needs. The city’s website says the second round of funding will be for “transformational investments,” including funding for housing, arts and culture, behavioral and mental health, the environment and child care.
"This is a major win for our city. We have been working since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure that every household in Boston has access to the internet, and this recent victory gets us one step closer. I want to thank Tech Goes Home for their persistent advocacy in this space,” Councilor Julia Mejia said in a statement.
