Hermosa Beach City Council Votes To Dedicate Funding To Grant Program To Help Local Businesses During The Pandemic

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

February 10, 2021

HERMOSA BEACH, CA – The Hermosa Beach City Council voted Tuesday night to take advantage of a one-time opportunity to re-direct $110,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to a Small Business Grant Assistance Program that will provide $10,000 individual grants to local businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and create or retain jobs for low- and moderate-income persons. Recipients can use the grants to help meet payroll and other operational expenses.

“We understand the struggles local businesses have faced during the pandemic and re-directing these funds into the Small Business Grant Assistance Program is another way the City is helping them,” said Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey.

The Los Angeles County Development Authority is overseeing the Small Business Grant Assistance Program that uses the Community Development Block Grant funds to help local businesses. Under the process the Authority has established for the program, Hermosa Beach business owners may submit an initial application March 1 to March 5 on the program’s website. After the March 5 deadline, a lottery will be conducted and selected businesses will be asked to complete a comprehensive application form. The Authority will work with the selected businesses for each participating city to execute an agreement and issue checks to business owners.

Following are the eligible businesses:

• Small businesses with less than 500 employees that have been impacted by COVID-19
• Restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, cafés, gastropubs, salons, barbers and other grooming businesses, gyms, day spas, and fitness studios
• Retail and commercial stores such as local markets, consumer goods, electronics, appliances, health and sporting goods, furniture, clothing and shoes, books, and music stores
• Active business license in the City of Hermosa Beach
• No unresolved City, municipal or health code violations
• Business in continuous operation in the City for at least two years.

For more information, including the businesses that are excluded from the program, please see the Small Business Grant Assistance Program Fact Sheet.

This press release was produced by the City of Hermosa Beach. The views expressed are the author's own.