How Long Beach plans to spend $40M in CARES Act money—and how you may be able to get help

A man walks past the Sweet Water Saloon as the owners of the business boarded up the windows in Long Beach Monday, March 23, 2020. Several clubs and bars were forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova. Long Beach residents, nonprofits and business owners can apply for more resources and grants through 23 new programs created with CARES Act funds. With more than $40 million in federal funds from the CARES Act, Long Beach is now distributing about half to different parts of the community. The other half, more than $19 million, has gone to the city’s COVID-19 response. City officials released the details of the new programs Tuesday that the City Council approved in July. The programs include a housing condition improvement program, meant to help homeowners and renters with air quality-related issues; food programs; mental health programs; digital inclusion programs, meant to help with digital literacy and access; and business grant programs. “Sustaining small businesses and community groups through this pandemic is a critical part of our response to COVID-19,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a press release. “This pandemic has devastated small businesses and caused record high unemployment nationwide. It […]

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