Supporting Struggling Small Businesses
The pandemic and Covid-19 mitigations began inflicting immense damage to many small businesses in March of 2020. Thousands of small businesses initially applied for Illinois Business Interruption Grants. While these grants helped some small businesses, approximately 80% of eligible small businesses which applied were not awarded a grant.
Subsequently, Illinois received over 8 billion dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funds. However, only $250 million were allocated for Back to Business grant program. These funds will likely be exhausted before many struggling and eligible businesses receive grants.
Illinois still has billions of federal funds and should replenish the Back to Business grant program with an additional $300 million. Our policymakers should not pick winners and loses when there is adequate funding to support the struggling small businesses.
House Bill HB5489 will allocate an additional $300 million for the Back to Business grant program. Please ask your legislators to support this legislation so that struggling small businesses can receive the support they need to recover from a pandemic, and associated mitigations, which they could not control.
Logan Square Activation Ribbon Cutting
Thank you Logan Square Chamber of Commerce for having us! The SBAC and our Neighborhood Revitalization Coalition had the pleasure of attending the Solidary Triangle Plaza Activation hosted by the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce. We spoke with some of the great people of Logan Square about our goals to revitalize, empower and connect Cook…
REVITALIZATION IN THE NEWS: Hyde Park Farmers Market Opens Sunday!
The Hyde Park Farmers Market will return to the parking lot behind the Hyde Park Bank Building, 1525 E. 53rd St., this Sunday, June 5. The Hyde Park Farmers Market will return to the parking lot behind the Hyde Park Bank Building, 1525 E. 53rd St., this Sunday, June 5. The event is co-hosted…
Woodlawn Coffee Chat: A Community Conversation
A Woodlawn Chamber of Commerce event: Join Woodlawn Chamber for the Woodlawn Coffee Chat on Wednesday, June 1st at 6:00p to have a virtual conversation with local community organizations and elected officials about how research tools can be used to identify policy-relevant concerns and strengthen community practices. Supported by The Chicago Community Trust, The Joyce…
