LA County to Offer Rent Relief Grants For Qualifying Small Businesses

LOS ANGELES—In an effort to assist Qualifying Small Business Tenants (QSBT) that have fallen behind on rent, Los Angeles County will launch the Small Business Rent Relief Grant Project, at 8 a.m. Nov. 17. The Project, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and authorized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, will be administered by the County in partnership with the National Development Council.

The Small Business Rent Relief Grant Project will provide up to $40,000 to help businesses cover rent that became past due as of March 4, 2020. To be eligible, a QSBT must meet the following criteria:

Have a brick and mortar business located in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County;

Have an annual average number of nine or fewer full-time equivalent employees;

Have annual total gross revenues of no more than $1 million; and

Be able to demonstrate a gross revenue loss of at least 25% over a 12-month timeframe falling at least in part within the period of Los Angeles County’s COVID-19 Emergency Order that went into effect March 4, 2020.

Only one application per QSBT will be considered.

The County is working to ensure equitable distribution of resources, focusing on communities most in need of immediate and long-term pandemic and economic relief interventions based on relative risk using indicators that assess risk factors for COVID-19 infection, vulnerability to severe outcomes if infected, and ability to recover from the health, economic, and social impacts of the pandemic. Small Business Rent Relief Grant Project applications will be sorted by tier per equity lens and a lottery will be held for each tier to determine ranking order.

Applications will be accepted at 8 a.m. Nov. 17, and remain available through 5 p.m. Nov. 24.  

Details: 626-210-4500; https://ndconline.org/small-business-lending/california/lacsbrr/ Questions regarding the Small Business Rent Relief Grant Project can be sent to LACountySBRR@ndconline.org.