Those who need the most help with weathering the coronavirus pandemic in Lathrop may soon be getting another lifeline.
The City of Lathrop has been using the Community Development Block Grant funding made available by the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Securities (CARES) Act to provide economic stability to those adversely affected by the business shutdowns and difficult economic times.
And now that the Lathrop City Council has agreed to allocate the next round of CDBG funding to refresh the program for those who need it, low-income residents in Lathrop that need economic assistance will have another chance to help them stay afloat.
To date Lathrop has used $56,346 to fund the first round of Emergency General Assistance grants to those that qualify, and $35,721 from the undesignated portion of the 2020/21 CDBG allocation to help keep the program afloat.
And now the City of Lathrop is poised to receive $61,610 in CDBG funding – which is made available by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help fund programs and organizations that assist communities – and has only received $8,022.70 in requests from agencies that want to use some of that funding to benefit Lathrop residents.
With $236.70 slated to go to the San Joaquin Fair Housing and $7,786 set aside to benefit the San Joaquin Emergency Food Bank, the remaining $52,587.30 is available for the City of Lathrop to continue to assist local residents who need economic help through the general assistance program being administered by city staff.
The program, which provides funding to residents to help with things housing costs in the event of job loss or related issues, is in addition to the city’s ongoing effort to help its residents get through the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this month the city began administering grants to local businesses who needed help to cover mounting bills as a result of coronavirus shutdowns or the ensuing economic fallout – making the remaining $235,000 of $500,000 they set aside from an obscure 1996 fund that mandated that homes constructed in what is now River Islands pay the fund $5,000 for every new home constructed to help community development since the decades-old plan to build a theme park in the area fell through.
The grant funding may be used for rent, payroll, inventory, utilities, or equipment, and will be only be given to for-profit companies that have between 3 and 20 employees. Businesses applying for consideration must be inside of Lathrop’s city limits, have a valid city-issued business license, and be able to prove economic hardship as a result of the pandemic.
Businesses that will not be considered include non-profit organizations, real estate entities, financing entities, liquor stores, check-cashing facilities, smoke shops, or cannabis dispensaries.
Additional information about the city’s ongoing efforts to provide assistance to Lathrop residents and businesses can be found by visiting the City of Lathrop’s website at www.ci.lathrop.ca.us.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
