American Rescue Plan
The federal funding through the American Rescue Plan provided an unprecedented opportunity to provide transformational services and resources for our residents in the wake of the COVID pandemic.
The $244 million we received through ARPA is allowing Oakland County to help its residents and businesses recover, succeed and thrive as well as address long range issues that were present before COVID hit Michigan in 2020 and magnified by the pandemic.
Working with the Board of Commissioners, we have allocated all of the $244 million to provide improved and expanded physical and mental health services for adults and students, incentives for affordable housing, workforce development programs for people looking to gain the education and training they need for good paying jobs and services, coaching and advanced technology for big and small business owners and manufacturers.
We also have invested in environmental sustainability programs that have improved and expanded parks across the county, provided energy efficiency grants to our residents and water system improvements for our communities. Our older adults have benefited from the grants provided to senior centers across the county for improvements to their facilities and programming.
These programs are building the foundations for residents, businesses, communities and organizations for success and growth that will last far beyond the end of the ARPA funding, providing economic security well into the future.
Recovery Plan Performance Report
As required by the American Rescue Plan Act, Oakland County has presented its Recovery Plan Performance Report to the U.S. Department of Treasury.
- 2025 Recovery Plan Performance Report - 7/31/2025
- 2024 Recovery Plan Performance Report - 7/31/2024
- 2023 Recovery Plan Performance Report - 7/28/2023
- 2022 Recovery Plan Performance Report - 7/28/2022
- 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report - 7/31/2021
News
Oakland County Eliminates Additional $6 Million in Medical Debt for 6,300 Residents
- Latest round of Oakland County’s partnership with Undue Medical Debt brings total relief to more than $15 million for 20,000-plus residents.
- Letters notifying residents that their medical debt has been abolished began arriving in mailboxes on March 9, 2026.
- The county’s initiative aims to erase tens of millions of dollars in medical debt for tens of thousands of Oakland County residents.
Pontiac, Mich. – Oakland County’s medical debt relief initiative continues to deliver life-changing results. In the latest round of relief, the county’s partnership with the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt has abolished more than $6 million in medical debt, benefiting approximately 6,300 Oakland County residents.
“This initiative is about giving people a second chance,” said Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter. “By eliminating this burden for thousands more residents, we’re helping people regain their financial footing.”
Notification letters from Undue Medical Debt were scheduled to arrive in residents’ mailboxes beginning March 9, 2026, informing them that their qualifying medical debt has been permanently eliminated. With this latest round, Oakland County has now abolished more than $15 million in medical debt for over 20,000 residents since launching the program.
The program is funded through $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which Oakland County is using to abolish tens of millions of dollars in medical debt for tens of thousands of residents across the county.
Medical debt is a leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States and affects an estimated 114,000 Oakland County residents.
Undue Medical Debt works with hospitals, health systems and debt holders to identify qualifying medical debt. Debts are then purchased for pennies on the dollar and permanently abolished. Eligible residents must either earn at or below four times the federal poverty level or have medical debt that exceeds 5 percent of their annual income.
The program operates on a source-based model, meaning qualifying debts can only be abolished if the provider or debt holder agrees to participate. Residents cannot apply for the program; instead, eligible debts are identified through partnerships with providers and debt holders.
Oakland County will continue working with Undue Medical Debt and participating providers to identify additional eligible debt for future rounds of relief.
For more information about the medical debt abolition program or to learn more about Undue Medical Debt, visit UndueMedicalDebt.org.