During the November 2, 2020 City Council Meeting, the Council voted to begin accepting applications from Beacon businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic and who fall within a block zone for a Microenterprise Stabilization Grant. The City of Beacon aims to distribute up to 15 grants of up to $10,000, from a fund source totaling $150,000. A map of eligible business locations can be seen here.

This grant is made available from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant COVID/CARES Act (CDBG-CV) which was provided to Dutchess County’s Urban County CDBG Consortium, who initially released $430,000 in September 2020 for the region. Community Capital of New York will manage the application and distribution process.

During the 10/26/2020 City Council Workshop discussion of this opportunity with Community Capital of New York, City Council did discuss how the considerations would work for grant approvals, and did want some flexibility in the decision-making process.

There are restrictions on the grant, including income limits, business types, and home-based businesses, who are not eligible. One of the goals of the grants, says Beacon’s City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero, “is for the money to be used to keep commercial areas vibrant.”

If a business was located within the designated area and left their physical space to conform to COVID-19 guidelines and is now working from home, an appeal could be considered, Anthony tells A Little Beacon Blog. “If the business was formerly in a commercial building, but workers are now working from home to abide by the COVID guidelines, I would think it could be considered. We would want to know if they had a commercial lease that was still in effect, and if it is their intention to return to that space once we have the all clear. One of the goals is for the money to be used to keep commercial areas vibrant. We would give priority to those businesses that are still out there on Main Street or even require that they are still operating from that space.”

Businesses must show that they are not duplicating federally granted money from the CARES ACT, such as PPP or EIDL or other similar programs. If a business already received a Microenterprise Grant from Dutchess County, they are not automatically declined, but “priority will be given to those businesses who have not received a Dutchess grant,” Anthony tells A Little Beacon Blog. “The funds for both programs are limited and both the City and the County want to make sure that as many businesses as possible get some help.”

For grant considerations and to apply, click here.