Glendale businesses and low-income renter residents facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 may be eligible to apply for new grant programs made available by the Glendale City Council. On Monday, June 22, the City of Glendale announced the release of $2,750,000 in grant funds for small businesses and residents, who will be able to apply for these funds between July 1 to July 15, 2020.

Selected lottery numbers will be announced on July 20, 2020. 

Of the available funds, a total of $2,172,500 will be made available to Glendale-based small businesses.  Another $572,500 will be made available to low-income renter households.

“Our residents and small businesses are suffering because of this pandemic,” Mayor Vrej Agajanian said. “Our message to you is that you are not alone in this recovery, and it is the goal of the Glendale City Council to deliver tangible resources to you as quickly as possible so that we can return to life as we once knew it.”

Funding for the programs were allocated through a combination of local and federal funds, including a local sales tax fund (“Measure S”) approved by Glendale voters last year, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) for Community Development Block Grant – Coronavirus (“CDBG-CV”).

The City of Glendale recovery grant programs include:

•     Emergency Rental Assistance Program – $572,500 from CDBG-CV. The program will offer up to $1,500 maximum assistance to low-income renter residents of Glendale who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be two rounds of funding that will support in total 380 households.  

•     Low-Income Small Business Grant Program – $572,500 from CDBG-CV. The program will offer small non-essential businesses and restaurants affected by COVID-19 a $5,000 grant to assist with business expenses. The program will support up to 114 Glendale businesses affected by COVID-19 who employ low-income individuals and have no more than 25 employees (self-employed can count as one employee) working at their establishment. Businesses must be in operation for a minimum of one year as of July 1, 2020, and have a commercial location in Glendale.

•     Small Business Recovery Grant – $1,600,000 from City of Glendale Measure S. The program will assist 320 businesses who have 500 or fewer employees with a $5,000 grant. Businesses must be in operation for a minimum of 6 months as of July 1, 2020, and have a commercial location in Glendale. All business types are eligible to apply, excluding loan packagers and businesses affiliated with gambling, among other narrowly defined prohibited businesses. Non-profit organizations are eligible (excluding houses of worship).

The release of these grant funds is one of many steps the Glendale City Council has taken in recent months to support the community in response to the public health and economic crisis presented by the current pandemic. On June 16, 2020, the Glendale City Council adopted the Business Recovery Strategy, which included an Economic Recovery Package totaling more than $4 million. The City Council also directed staff to further explore developing business assistance programs, including:

• Al Fresco Glendale, a temporary outdoor dining program;
• Personal Protective Equipment acquisition and reimbursement programs;
• Childcare programs; and, 
• Development of grant programs that would support non-profits, business associations, and arts and culture institutions.

Details of future COVID-19 recovery programs will be announced in the next few weeks.

https://www.glendaleca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/7435/16