Is Fresno County running out of COVID-19 money? At least one supervisor says he’s worried
Amid concerns of dwindling coronavirus-relief funds, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved to fund two programs that would provide direct housing and business assistance for county residents.
Supervisors were split on the vote, 3-2, to approve the funding. Supervisors Nathan Magsig and Steve Brandau voted against both programs.
A $250,000 program would provide small businesses owned by women and minorities with grants. The second program grants $500,000 aimed at assisting with housing for residents experiencing economic shortfalls.
Supervisor Brian Pacheco introduced the programs during a previous meeting following concerns he said he heard from residents in his district, which he calls the most diverse and includes western Fresno County.
The small-business program is similar to one the supervisors approved earlier in the summer that provided grants to 1,000 underserved businesses across the county.
Before the vote, the spending discussion led a supervisor to issue a warning that the county’s balance of money from the CARES Act could be minimized by November. Supervisor Nathan Magsig said the county has spent, or committed to spend, about $50 million to date. The county received $98 million in state and federal CARES Act aid for COVID-19-associated costs.
The county has spent millions on testing and tracing capacity that it has needed in order to keep up with the rate of infection from coronavirus.
“I almost want to go into a holding pattern just based on the spending that I’ve been watching happen month over month. I’m concerned that we’re going to run out of money here, really quick,” Magsig said.
COVID-19 help for Fresno-area businesses
The small-business grants of up to $5,000 are expected to attract business owners who employ 10 or fewer full-time workers and who have not had access to federal aid such as the Paycheck Protection Program. The PPP provided loans to businesses to help save jobs, but many small businesses did not get funding.
The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation is assisting in implementing the business grant program and is expected to work with other organizations for public service announcements to inform about the grants.
Businesses can begin to apply starting Monday Aug. 24, and the grants are expected to be issued by Sept. 28.
The City of Fresno this week also approved $1 million for additional aid to minority businesses in the city. The funds will be added to the city’s previous small-business grant program.
Housing help for Fresno-area during COVID-19
The housing program approved Tuesday would also go to families who have not had access to aid from the coronavirus pandemic’s hardship. It focuses heavily on agricultural workers.
Initially, Pacheco issued a $250,000 proposal, but raised the amount to half a million following public comment and urging from the director of Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, Margarita Rocha.
Rocha told the supervisors that small grants the organization has received from foundations totaling $140,000 had been exhausted, with only $20 left in the account. The funds were used for a housing retention program that assisted families to stay in their homes.
The City of Fresno also pledged funds for the program, but Rocha said that it would be used for city residents.
“What I’m saying is there are no funds left to help any of the county residents that are eligible for this service,” she said.
Rocha told supervisors that the organization is capable of providing rural residents with housing aid since it has offices in the rural county. Before supervisors approved $500,000 for the housing program, Rocha said the organization theoretically could stretch $500,000 for three months of help for residents.
She said that would require spending conservatively.
Assistance would be provided for residents who have lost income or a job associated with the coronavirus pandemic. Residents across the county can apply but need to provide documentation to prove they meet the qualifications, like proof that the money will be used for rent and avoid eviction and that they have not received rent, mortgage, or utility assistance from another government agency.
Housing during the pandemic has become a topic of great concern as residents are forced out of jobs and have had trouble keeping up with rent payments. The state lifted a moratorium on evictions, but protections vary across cities and counties. Pacheco said the program would be especially helpful for Fresno County residents during this time.
“All the (coronavirus) tests in the world don’t mean nothing if you don’t have a home to go home to,” Pacheco said.
The grants are being issued once the applications are made available on a first-come-first-served basis.
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 2:20 PM.
