Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop joins Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise to announce 594 grants being awarded to small business owners throughout Jersey City to provide direct funding and support to those most in need in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The checks, worth upwards of $20,000 each, are being individually handed to each business owner beginning Thursday, September 17th. At 12:45 p.m. today, Mayor Fulop will help hand-deliver the grants behind City Hall.
Jersey City is the recipient of $9 million from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Securities (CARES) Act stimulus funds to directly benefit small businesses with 25 or fewer employees, to which Hudson County was allocated a total of over $117 million.
The CARES Act was signed by the President in March to provide $2 trillion in financial aid to communities across the nation that have been impacted the most by the health and economic crisis.
“Every business is important. Every local employee they can retain and hire back is important," Mayor Fulop said. "We’re grateful to the county and to our congressional delegation who fought for this money so that we can provide local business owners with the tools they need to recover as quickly as possible.”
Of the nearly 600 grant recipients, approximately 300 of the businesses are located in the City’s west side and Heights sections, another 200 are within the downtown business district and approximately 80 business owners from the Greenville section.
“I’d like to thank our federal delegation, led by Senator Robert Menendez, for securing these monies that are a lifeline for Hudson County so that our small businesses can hit the restart button,” Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise said.
Jersey City businesses with 25 or fewer employees that are home-based, mobile, or brick and mortar were eligible for the grants.
Based on criteria developed by Hudson County, applications were reviewed by the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC) to determine eligible expenses, which include employee salaries (capped at $2,000 per employee), the salary of sole proprietor or principal (capped at $2,000), mortgage or rent payments, loan payments, equipment leases, and utility payments incurred since March.
“Having been a part of the selection process, I’m confident the nearly 600 business owners will put the funding we’re providing to the best possible use, whether it’s rehiring employees they had to let go, or paying overdue bills that continued to pile high while they were closed for several months,” Rosemary McFadden, JCEDC Chair, said.
This small business grant distribution is the latest step to move Jersey City forward as we work with residents and businesses to safely reopen and recover.
From expanding outdoor dining to installing Slow Streets and Pedestrian Plazas, to offering free testing and supplies to residents and businesses, the Administration has been working diligently since day one to identify areas where the assistance is needed from the city level.
The Mayor’s COVID-19 Relief Distribution Fund has also raised millions in private donations to directly support community-based nonprofits, youth and arts programming, as well as services and grant support to low-income residents impacted by the pandemic.