Elgin Area Chamber Of Commerce Publishes Northeast Region Weekly Update

Press release from the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce:

June 14, 2021

We’ve reached Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan today! This is a great step forward for all of us. While we still need to move forward with the vaccines, enjoy this step. If you want information on Phase 5, please see our website here. You may also notice that DCEO has revamped our website. We hope you find this new layout easy to navigate and informative. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Coming up next week, we have the next installment of the Veterans Business Series on June 17th at 2:00 pm. The registration link is below. We have other program updates, so please read on! Don’t forget to follow us on our social media channels for real time updates. Until next week, remember We’re All In Illinois!

Restore Illinois Plan – Phase 5

All of Illinois is moving to Phase 5 today, June 11th. Upon entering Phase 5, fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. The State will continue to recommend masking for unvaccinated persons, and require it for all people while traveling on public transportation, in congregate settings, in health care settings, as well as in schools, day cares, and educational institutions pursuant to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and CDC guidance. Businesses and local municipalities can put in place additional mitigations as they deem appropriate.

Under Phase 5, all sectors of the economy can resume at regular capacity. Phase 5 also marks the return of traditional conventions, festivals, and large events without capacity restrictions. Large gatherings of all sizes can resume across all industry settings, and Phase 5 removes requirements that businesses institute mandatory social distancing in seated venues as well as daily health screenings of employees and visitors. Businesses and venues should continue to allow for social distancing to the extent possible, especially indoors. Businesses and venues may also continue to put in place additional public health mitigations as they deem appropriate, including requiring face coverings.

While the entry to Phase 5 signals an end to business and activity specific guidance requiring social distancing, health screening and other required operational shifts, Illinois will continue to recommend face coverings for unvaccinated persons, as well as all individuals while (1) on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation and in transportation hubs, such as airports and train and bus stations; (2) in congregate facilities such as correctional facilities, veterans’ homes, and long-term care facilities, group homes, and residential facilities; and (3) in healthcare settings. In addition, the guidance for schools is updated to align with the CDC guidelines, including lifting the requirement for individuals to mask outdoors in most situations.

Illinois Rental Payment Program

ILRPP is an emergency rental assistance program designed to support households in Illinois that are unable to pay rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The landlord-led application period for the Illinois Rental Payment Program is now closed. Joint applications initiated by landlords prior to Tuesday, June 8 will remain accessible to landlords and tenants and may be completed until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 13.

If your landlord has not started an application, you may still apply. An additional application period for tenants applying directly for rental assistance will open at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 28. Tenants have until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 18 to complete their portion of the application. Please continue to visit www.IHDA.org/ilrpp for more information.

Small Business Administration Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program

The Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program was established by The Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Venues Act, signed into law on December 27, 2020. The portal remains open for applications. Please check the SBA website, www.sba.gov/svogrant, for more information. You can refer to this Eligibility Requirements Chart to help determine qualifications for the program.

Small Business Administration Program: Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL)

The SBA is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses and non-profit organizations that are suffering substantial economic injury as a result of COVID-19. These loans may be used to pay debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact, and that are not already covered by a Paycheck Protection Program loan. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses and 2.75% for non-profits. The first payment is deferred for one year. The deadline to apply for this program has been extended to December 31, 2021. The SBA has also extended deferment periods for all disaster loans including EIDL until 2022. For more information and the application, please click here to go to the SBA’s website.

DCEO Office of Community Development Updates

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program was established by the U.S. Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 ("HCD Act"). The program assists Illinois communities that do not receive a HUD direct entitlement allocation with meeting their greatest economic and community development needs. ?CDBG provides federal funding for community-based projects in non-metropolitan areas. The program consists of the following components.

• Public Infrastructure – Local governments that need to improve public infrastructure and eliminate conditions detrimental to public health, safety, and public welfare may request a maximum of $550,000.00 to undertake projects designed to alleviate these conditions, with an emphasis on helping communities with substantial low to moderate-income populations. The current focus of this program is on water and sewer related projects.
• Housing Rehabilitation Program – Low-to-moderate income communities can apply for grants to improve housing and rehabilitate and retrofit properties. A maximum of $550,000 in grant funds or $50,000 per household is available to improve the homes of low-to-moderate income residents of owner-occupied single-family housing units. Grants provide residents with safe and sanitary living conditions and help to stabilize neighborhoods and affordable housing in the community.
• Economic Development – Local governments may request a maximum of $1,000,000.00 for gap financing to assist businesses locating or expanding in the community. Funds may be used for machinery and equipment, working capital, building construction and renovation, or improvements to public infrastructure that creates and/or retains jobs in the community.

The 2021 Guidebooks are now available on our website. The Application Deadline has been set for Tuesday, August 3rd for both the Housing Rehabilitation and Public Infrastructure programs

Team RED Office hours

DCEO’s Regional Economic Development Team is hosting weekly office hours on the days and times listed below. These sessions are designed as open times that the Team is available. The Team will provide you with the latest updates and answer any questions you may have on state or federal programs. Feel free to drop in for any assistance you need. If these times do not work for you, please reach out to your regional Team RED representative. We’re always here to help.

Mondays from 3pm – 4pm
Meeting link: https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/j.php?MTID=mdac63fc058a28665bc12f2db155d8e81

Wednesdays from 1pm – 2pm
Meeting link: https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/j.php?MTID=mab7683a4fd7c1b69c9aead26b0fce1ea

Thursdays from 3pm – 4pm
Meeting link: https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/j.php?MTID=me64c9d6620b31db8645644cf588f956b

Fridays from 10am – 11am
Meeting link: https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/j.php?MTID=m097b6d22cef426d023f9d5375ba167b4

DCEO Office of Minority Economic Empowerment

You can find more information about OMEE including programs they are hosting on their webpage here.

Veteran Busines Webinar Series

Join the Office of Regional Economic Development and the Office of Minority Economic Empowerment for the next installment of our Veteran Business Webinar Series. For this event, we will host a webinar with special guest Bill Ashton from the United States Department of Agriculture. Bill will present on how Veterans and Veteran-owned businesses can gain access to agricultural, employment, educational, and entrepreneurial programs through the USDA. Registration is required for this event.

Date and Time: Thursday, June 17th, 2021 at 2:00pm
To register click: https://bit.ly/3upZ624

Following DCEO

If you have upcoming meetings or events and would like DCEO to participate, please reach out to me. One of our goals is to ensure information about our programs and activities is getting out to the communities and we’re happy to participate. We continue to schedule workshops and presentations for 2021, so please let us know if you are interested in partnering with us to provide program information to your organization and region. I also encourage you to follow us on our social media channels for real time updates.

Local CURE Support Program

Local Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (Local CURE) Support Program: DCEO is continuing to work with our communities across the state to submit their reimbursable expenses related to COVID-19. It’s not too late to submit expenses. The deadline to submit reimbursable costs has been extended to January 31, 2022. DCEO has posted information on our website here.

The website also has some good Q&A documents that can help with determining if an expense is eligible for reimbursement. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can also reach out to our partner at LocalCURE@crowe.com and we will get back to you.

PC’s for People Partnership

PCs for People and various community partners, Illinois has launched a statewide network that will receive, refurbish and redistribute used computers to those in need. For more information, click here.

If you are interested in donating equipment to this program, PCs for People will accept any and all used computer equipment, redistributing what it can refurbish and recycling what it cannot refurbish. PCs for People is NAID AAA and R2 certified, requiring the non-for-profit to practice the highest standards of information destruction, hard drive sanitization, and environmental computer device recycling along with a zero-landfill policy. If your entity is undertaking a pc refresh or you know of an entity that is looking to undertake one and would be interested in donating to this program, please let me know and we’ll help make the connection to PC’s for People.

IDOT Rail Needs Assessment Study

The Illinois Department of Transportation is inviting the public to comment and offer suggestions on a new study assessing the state’s rail system. The goal of the study is to seek input on current conditions, capacity concerns and safety challenges to help identify potential improvements and solutions.

Comments will be collected through June 14 via illinoisrailneeds.org, which includes a short video, informational displays and a link to a survey.

Public Museum Capital Grants Program

Public museums in Illinois can receive funding assistance to improve museum facilities and develop new exhibits through the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), which administers the program, is accepting applications from qualifying public museums. The deadline to apply is July 16, 2021. For detailed information on the application process, museum eligibility, matching fund requirements, and a copy of the application form, check the IDNR website at https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/grants/Pages/Museum-Capital-Grants.aspx

Elgin Development Group

• Illinois Department of Commerce
• June 14, 2021

This press release was produced by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.