The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday on plans to distribute state funds for rental assistance, small business grants
By Katie Cadiao, County of San Diego Communications Office
The County Board of Supervisors yesterday decided on how the County will distribute pending emergency rental assistance funds allocated to the region by the state.
The County will administer a single program, overseeing the distribution of an estimated $52.5 million in state funding and the $49 million in funding from the federal government the County received in January. These funds will assist San Diegans who have been economically impacted by COVID-19 in paying for housing expenses.
The program will serve people who reside in the unincorporated areas of the County, as well as San Diegans living in 16 cities within the region. The cities of San Diego and Chula Vista received funding directly from the federal and state governments and will not be covered under the County’s program.
The emergency rental assistance program is open to both County residents who have applied to previous emergency rental assistance programs, and those who have not received rental assistance through the initiative. The County will soon open the application period for the program and area residents who want to learn more about the initiative and how to apply for COVID-19 rental assistance, can find more information here.
Small Business Grants
The Board also voted to provide additional stimulus funds to small businesses that have suffered economic hardship due to the pandemic. The Board voted to allocate at least $30 million to the Small Business Stimulus Grant Program once the federal and state government appropriate funds to the County in the coming weeks.
Today’s Board action allows County staff to prepare the next round of the program so grants can be distributed to qualified applicants as soon as the funds come in. Depending on the timing of federal government approval, the Board may call a special meeting to finalize the details of the next round of the program once the County receives the funds.
The upcoming round will be open to small businesses and nonprofit entities with 20 or fewer employees. As with prior grants, Board offices will determine final eligibility for businesses in their respective jurisdictions.
