Coronavirus In Texas: Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson Announces Relief Efforts For Individuals, Businesses Impacted
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Mayor Eric Johnson announced Wednesday evening, the Dallas City Council passed a small business continuity program and will distribute $5 million to local small businesses in the form of loans and grants.
They must demonstrate they've suffered a 20% loss or more from COVID-19.
Hundreds of businesses are expected to be eligible to benefit.
The Dallas City Council also passed a $13.7 million mortgage and rental assistance program to help keep Dallas residents in their homes.
And the City Council created a new ordinance meant to encourage landlords and tenants to work together to overcome COVID-19 hardships.
"Collectively, these measures represent a significant undertaking meant to help as many people as we can under the financial constraints we have," Mayor Eric Johnson said. "We are looking at how to move forward while maintaining public health as our primary concern. And I want to assure the residents of Dallas that your city leaders are doing all we can to help you recover and rebuild."
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Under the mortgage assistance program, the city will use $6.1 million in federal grants and local funds to finance rent and mortgage payments for low to moderate income residents. Under the plan, landlords would receive direct payments from the City.
"There is a vulnerable population, that is going to be impacted by circumstances that couldn't be avoided, and I think it's important that we do what we can to keep them (residents)in their homes", Adam Bazaldua, District 7 Councilman said Wednesday.
Bazaldua said 80% of residents in his district, including parts of South and East Dallas, live in rental properties.
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Mortgage and rental assistance program
The Mortgage and Rental Assistance program passed by Council will offer $6.1 million in rental and mortgage aid. Combined with services and programs that already exist within the city, $13.7 million is available.
Assistance will provide up to $1,500 for a maximum of three months per eligible household. To qualify for the pre-screening process, applicants must be City of Dallas residents who lost their jobs or were furloughed due to COVID-19.
The Mortgage and Rental Assistance program is a collaboration between the Office of Community Care and the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization.
The program is expected to open during the first week of May.
Small Business Continuity Fund (SBCF)
The Office of Economic Development will launch the $5 million Small Business Continuity Fund. The fund will provide up to $10,000 in grants and up to $50,000 in low-cost loans to small businesses affected by COVID-19.
The businesses must be able to prove they were in operation for a minimum of six months prior to March 16, 2020 and demonstrate a 25% drop in revenue due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
The goal of the fund is to ensure continued operations of small businesses and job retention by those businesses.
The application is expected to go live in May for grants and loans to begin in June.
Evictions notice ordinance
The COVID Notice Ordinance requires residential landlords to issue a "COVID Notice of Possible Eviction" that provides tenants information on rental assistance and at least 21 days to negotiate lease payment agreements with landlords.
The ordinance also allows for a 60-day eviction notice if a substantial financial hardship can be proven.
The proposed ordinance explicitly excludes any delays of evictions when there is evidence of abatable criminal activity and does not excuse any requirement for the tenant to pay rent under the agreed-upon lease.
The ordinance would only remain in effect in conjunction with the declared disaster declaration and is limited in its application to residential properties.