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Date: 2/2/2022
HOLYOKE – Businesses in Holyoke that have been hard hit by COVID-19 are now able to access Relief and Recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act allocated by former acting Mayor Terence Murphy in September. The funds will go toward small businesses sectors such as hospitality, travel and tourism.
The $800,000 grant program opened mid-October 2021. To date, over $400,000 funds have already been committed to approximately 22 businesses, according to Kate Preissler, special project manager of the Office of Community Development.
She said the grant is capped at $25,000 and shared that the average grants that have been going out are in the $20,000 range and are being used for such purposes as rent, operating costs, payroll and supplies like PPE and other social distancing supply costs. She added that since this is a federal grant, there are some restrictions, however, but also noted, “it is one of the loosest federal grants we have administered.”
To be eligible, businesses must be located in Holyoke, be in existence before Feb. 15, 2020, and show they have had a negative economic impact directly due to COVID-19 – or restrictions put in place for operation due to the coronavirus pandemic. The funds are awarded and reviewed on a rolling basis, so there aren’t any deadlines, and they will remain available to local businesses until the original allocation runs out.
When the relief funds were launched last fall, Preissler said, “Collectively as a city and as a nation we were in a different headspace, and the perception was about this recovery was to help businesses get back on their feet or open different types of operations or solidify pivots they were planning to make.”
But now, she said, due to the recent surges, they are still implementing the funds as relief money intended to help business owners through the winter because of a decrease in customers. But, she emphasized, “We are responding and reviewing as quickly as possible, and it is usually a two to four week turnaround time on applications.”
She shared, “Some of the business owners have let me know that themselves, their staff, COVID is really ravaging people this winter as well, so that continues to be an operational issue for a lot of these small businesses – the funds are really there to help and support the businesses in our community on a really fundamental level.”
She also noted that the money came in two tranches from the American Rescue Plan Act, and this was the first tranche. She said they are still expecting to receive the second tranche and is hopeful that more money will be dedicated to small businesses and the community in the future.
For businesses interested in applying for the grant, the application form is available in English or Spanish at www.holyoke.org/covid-19-relief-recovery-grants/. Paper copies are also available at the Office for Community Development, the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, the Latino Chamber of Commerce, and the Spark/EforAll Coworkspace in Holyoke. Applicants are encouraged to fill out as much as possible, and if needed, technical assistance for the rest will be available once the application is submitted. All questions can be directed to the Office for Community Development at 322-5610.