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Date: 10/24/2023
HOLYOKE — Applications are now being accepted for the city’s American Rescue Plan Act Small Business Code Compliance Program which offers financial assistance to those businesses in need of code compliance updates to resume or continue operations.
This program is a subset of the Small Business Grant Program which has already provided nearly $800,000 to assist Holyoke small businesses in their recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. This round of funding is provided to assists businesses with specific code compliance improvements to buildings such as accessibility modifications, fire systems and other compliance updates that must be made under orders from public safety or building officials.
The city of Holyoke has allocated $800,000 in ARPA funds to support small businesses with code compliance improvements.
Office for Community Development Director Alicia Zoeller added the these federal funds have been earmarked for code compliance upgrades for businesses who were in existence at the time of the coronavirus pandemic and have faced code compliance challenges and funding short falls from reduced business during COVID-19.
“We recognize that small businesses, certainly in Holyoke and elsewhere, suffered as a result of the pandemic. Many were closed, many saw reduced revenues, many have struggled with supply chain issues, increased costs, challenges obtaining staff, and so the city has really been supporting in small businesses all along,” Zoeller said.
In the first round of ARPA funds Zoeller explained the city provided $800,000 in small grants and that money is almost entirely gone. As the last year and a half has gone on, code compliance issues became an identifiable barrier that multiple businesses seemed to be struggling with due to costs.
Zoeller encourages folks to take a close look at the application materials, which are available to view at https://www.holyoke.org/community-development-announcements-public-notices/, because there is a priority ranking for this funding.
“You do need to fit into the criteria of the program and the criteria are very specific and somewhat detailed,” Zoeller added.
Zoeller said the first priority for the city is to assist those businesses that were in operation as of March 2020 but who are unable to operate due to code compliance issues.
“They may have been shut down by the Fire Department or the Building Department, or the Board of Health for code compliance, and so we’re going to offer them a funding opportunity to help them get into full compliance,” Zoeller said.
She continued and said the second priority of these funds are for businesses also operational as of March 2020 who have received code compliance orders from local authorities and having what is called an agreed upon path towards compliance.
“So, you may be a small business that has been ordered to have let’s say a sprinkler system from the Fire Department, and they’ve given you six months to get those installed. Those businesses are our second priority,” Zoeller explained.
Zoeller said the third priority are businesses open as of the started of the coronavirus pandemic who have recommendations from local authorities for code compliance. These would the lowest priority applicants for the funding.
“We want to get [businesses falling under the first priority] the resources needed to get them back open operating, making sure that we’re retaining jobs and businesses here in the city,” Zoeller said. “that’s the bottom line is we want to support our small businesses, make sure they’re opening, operating successfully and providing jobs to our residents.”
She added it will be a competitive process with a scoring criterion used to dictate priority levels for each applicant.
In closing Zoeller added that if a business sees this but does not need code compliance, but instead needs assistance with insurance or payroll expenses, they should call her office as they have other funding programs available for small businesses.
Applications for small businesses became available on Oct. 15 and are being accepted through Nov. 18. All applications will be reviewed after the deadline.
Application materials are available on Facebook (@HolyokeOCD), by emailing the Mayor’s Office at fays@holyoke.org, or the Office for Community Development Office at zoellera@holyoke.org, or by calling the Office for Community Development at 413-322-5610. Zoeller encourages interested applicants to reach out to her office with any questions.