Article Courtesy of The Palm
Beach Post
By Hannah Morse
Published September 30, 2020
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Palm Beach County has millions of federal dollars left to give to residents and
businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
After awarding about 3,000 local businesses more than $50 million, the county’s
Restart Business grant program fueled by federal CARES Act dollars reopened to
applicants on Friday on a first-come, first-served basis.
Businesses forced to close or limit their activities because of state or county
orders can receive up to $25,000. Applicants will be required to provide
documents such as tax returns, payroll reports as well as an active Palm Beach
County business tax receipt or exemption from the tax collector’s office.
The application period will end Oct. 9 at 11:59 p.m.
The same day the business grant program closes for a second time, the county’s
mortgage assistance application process will reopen at 8 a.m.
Eligible applicants must prove they were unable to make mortgage or HOA payments
as a result of the pandemic, whether because of loss of income, reduced hours or
unemployment. An applicant’s income must also be at or below 140% of the area
median income.
While applicants can receive up to $10,000 for six months of delinquent mortgage
and HOA payments, the average assistance provided during the previous
application period was more than $6,000.
Nearly $5.5 million has been paid to 870 applicants as of Thursday. The
application period ends Nov. 16.
For more information on either program, visit
discover.pbcgov.org/HES.
To catch up on processing almost 6,000 applications, the county temporarily
stopped accepting applications for rent and utility help and will only accept
new applications if money is still available. The county has given out more than
$3.4 million in rent utility assistance as of Thursday.
But the county is still offering food assistance.
Residents who lost their jobs or had their hours reduced because of COVID-19,
and whose total income is at or below 140% of the area median income, are
eligible to receive a one-time pre-paid debit card.
Households of one or two people can receive $400; households with three or four
people can receive $800; and households with five or more people can receive
$1,000. For more information or to apply, visit
www.rentalassistancepbc.org.
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