LYNN — The City of Lynn has been awarded $2 million in federal funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, approved by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in late March.
Distributed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the COVID-19 relief funding will be aimed at providing aid to residents with low and moderate income levels and city businesses that consist of low-paying to moderate-income level jobs.
The funds will be managed by the city’s Department of Community Development through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Service Grant programs, according to Mayor Thomas M. McGee’s office.
The funds will be administered in partnership with the Economic Development & Industrial Corporation of Lynn (EDIC/Lynn), the city’s development bank, which will focus on providing relief for businesses, and Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development (LHAND), which will focus on struggling homeowners and tenants.
“This CARES Act funding will bring some relief to residents, businesses, and nonprofits within the city so they can pay employees, leases, mortgages, rent, and utility bills as they try to survive the adverse economic impacts of this pandemic,” said McGee in a statement.
“This much needed aid will also assist with caring for our most vulnerable populations, costs associated with operating regional isolation and quarantine locations, and investing in food security and distribution in our city. Certainly, there is substantial work to be done to rebuild, but this is one step in the right direction.”
EDIC and Community Development will administer $1 million in funding through grants of up to $10,000 for Lynn businesses and nonprofits that have been affected by the virus.
The grants will be aimed at keeping businesses afloat during the pandemic, which will allow them to retain employees, pay their leases or mortgages, and take care of other necessary costs. Nonprofits can use the funds to pay for job training services, provide COVID-19 testing, increase their health services, provide equipment and supplies, and deliver meals to quarantined individuals, according to McGee’s office.
“I receive calls every day from businesses owners asking what we can do to help them survive,” said James Cowdell, EDIC/Lynn executive director, in a statement. “Our goal was to get as much direct grant funding to them as fast as possible. We want to do all we can to keep them viable through the pandemic.”
LHAND will administer more than $535,000 in funding to eligible homeowners and tenants who have lost income through a layoff or lack of work. The funds are aimed at assisting residents with rent, mortgage and utility payments for a three-month period.
LHAND also plans to create an emergency response plan, which will be focused on continuing the agency’s operations and curbing the spread of the virus among its residences, staff and program participants.
“Our main concern is to get these funds out as quick as possible to homeowners and tenants that have been affected and assist with their rent and mortgage,” said LHAND Executive Director Charles Gaeta in a statement. “This pandemic is affecting everyone and people need relief. We want to help as many people as we possibly can with these additional funds.”
According to McGee’s office, a portion of the federal funding will go toward investing in food security operations, defraying the isolation and quarantine costs for residents who cannot isolate themselves at their homes, and assisting the Lynn Shelter Association with servicing the city’s homeless population during the pandemic.
“In developing a Lynn Emergency Relief proposal, the city formulated a plan based on input from local businesses, residents, and what other cities and towns nationwide are utilizing the funding for,” said James Marsh, the city’s Community Development director, in a statement.
“We have been working with HUD and the National Community Development Association over the last few weeks in formulating a plan for these much needed federal dollars. We are grateful for these funds and are hopeful more funding is on its way.”
Businesses can apply for funding through an online grant application posted on the EDIC website and the City of Lynn’s COVID-19 Resource Page. Nonprofits can apply through the Community Development Department’s website or call (781) 586-6770. All awards will be made based on need and adherence to HUD regulations.
Tenants and homeowners in need of assistance can access information through the online WaitListCheck portal of the Family Success Center of LHAND. Residents can also call the Family Success Center at 339-883-2342 or send an email to [email protected].
