Additional $5M Approved For Restaurant, Retail Coronavirus Relief

SILVER SPRING, MD — The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve $5 million in additional emergency funding for local restaurants and small retail shops affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

This funding is on top of the $5 million reserved for local restaurants and retail shops in the original $20 million special appropriation for the county's Public Health Emergency Grant (PHEG) program. The money will come from the county's General Fund Reserves.

The special appropriation was spearheaded by Councilmember Nancy Navarro.

For the latest on the new coronavirus in Maryland, get Patch news alerts.

"Here, at the local level, we're doing everything we can within our range of resources. Obviously we wish we had a lot more money, but we understand that this all has to fit together," Navarro said.

"I think we also recognize that restaurants and small retail have been hit disproportionally in a negative way because ... when we started talking about social distancing ... these were some of the first type of businesses that were affected immediately," she continued. "So this additional $5 million, again, is part of this broader grant program. It is for restaurants and front-facing retail."

Under the PHEG program, businesses with 100 or fewer full-time employees that are suffering from the pandemic can apply for grants of up to $75,000.

Grant funding must be used for employee wages and benefits, taxes, debt, rent, or other operating losses during the public health crisis.

Click here to learn more about the PHEG program.

SEE ALSO:

• 'I'm Worried:' Business Owners Apply For Grants To Stay Afloat
  
• $2M Housing Stability Fund Being Considered In Montgomery County
• MD Buys 500K Coronavirus Tests From South Korea: Hogan
  
• No Letter Grades For Fourth Marking Period: MCPS
  
• Coronavirus And Guns: MoCo Asks Hogan To Prioritize Public Safety