Dauphin County Commissioners Award $17 Million In COVID-19 Recovery Grants To Municipalities, Small Businesses And Nonprofits

Press release from the Harrisburg Regional Chamber:

October 21, 2020

Dauphin County Commissioners Jeff Haste, Mike Pries and George P. Hartwick, III today awarded a total of $17 million in grants to municipalities, businesses and nonprofits that applied for help with coronavirus-related expenses through the county’s COVID-19 Recovery Grant Program. Funding for the grants is part of the $25.1 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act money the county received from the state earlier this year.

The grant funding was allocated as follows: $11,768,107 for 20 municipalities, $3,977,266 for 190 small businesses, $1,066,411 for 57 nonprofits and $150,000 for the regional tourism industry. The county is maintaining about $7.5 million of the CARES funding for technology equipment and upgrades, as well as other COVID-19-related costs.

“This critical funding will help lessen the financial burden and keep the doors of many businesses and nonprofits open,” said Pries, who oversees the county’s Office of Community and Economic Development (DCED), which administers the grant program. “It will also help local governments with the unanticipated costs associated with coronavirus, from purchasing personal protective equipment and technology for remote work to covering police and first responders’ salaries.”

A population-based formula was applied when determining grant allocations for municipalities.

Businesses located in the county with less than 100 employees – or companies in the tourism industry with less than 500 workers – were eligible to apply for up to $35,000, or 25 percent, of operating expenses, whichever was less. Nonprofits were eligible if they delivered services in the county. Although businesses and nonprofits that received a Paycheck Protection Program or Economic Injury Disaster loan could still apply, the amount of funding previously received was considered in awarding grants.

“The small business community, the backbone of our economy, has sustained a massive blow in recent months,” said Haste. “Restaurants, hotels, salons and other small businesses have been hit hard by state’s shutdown and continued restrictions, leaving many struggling to recover.”

The COVID-19 Recovery Grant Program was made available through an online application process and administered by the county’s Department of Community and Economic Development. The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, and Susquehanna Accounting and Consulting Solutions acted as independent third-party underwriters for the small business and nonprofit grant applications.

“Making payroll and monthly bills has been a struggle for many business owners and nonprofit leaders,” said Hartwick. “This grant funding will help ease the burden, save local jobs and get business back on track during this unprecedented time.”

To help with restoring the regional economy, the commissioners also awarded $10,000 and $20,000 grants to more than 70 businesses throughout the county in May and June as part of a separate program funded by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This press release was produced by Harrisburg Regional Chamber. The views expressed here are the author’s own.