Laserfiche WebLink
File Number: 20-627 <br />homelessness, including women and children <br />·Domestic Violence Assistance - $105,000 <br />o Rental assistance, resource referral (211), emergency shelter and food program <br />·SL Community Assistance Program - $150,000 <br />o Food access, counseling, legal aid, family support services, health services for youth, <br />food access for seniors, and shelter services <br />·Mental Health, Domestic Violence and Food Distribution - $490,000 (federal CDBG) <br />·Food Assistance Programs - doubled the amount of food provided <br />o Food for San Leandro Families - 14.4 tons of produce/dried goods and over 2,700 <br />pounds of meat provided <br />o Provided grants to SL food access groups and pantries to increase food supply <br />o Expanded Mercy Brown Bag and Spectrum Senior Meals programs <br />·Expanded and adapted existing programs to meet growing needs, including virtual Senior <br />Center, community education, aquatics center, and camps. <br />·Free COVID-19 Testing - in partnership with State, County and Eden Health District <br />·Assisted with the creation of the first language Warm Line (multilingual referral line for brief <br />emotional support and connection with resources) <br />·Assisted Alameda County/San Leandro Police with the soft opening of the CATT Program <br />(Community Assessment Treatment and Transport) <br />·Revamping FLEX RIDES free shuttle and ride program <br />Business Assistance <br />With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and its damaging business impacts, Economic <br />Development Division staff have worked to focus business incentive funds where they are the most <br />needed. In May 2020, the City utilized $250,000 in FY 2019-2020 available business incentive funds, <br />coupled with $50,000 in funds from East Bay Community Energy, to provide $5,000 grants to 60 San <br />Leandro small businesses through the San Leandro Small Business Continuity Grant Program. With <br />the most recent City allocation of $150,000 in available FY 2020-2021 business incentive funds plus the <br />equivalent County match, a total of $300,000 in funds became available as $5,000 grants to an <br />additional 60 businesses through the Alameda County CARES Grant Program. An additional 134 <br />businesses received grants from the overall $5 million Alameda County pool. However, the 660 <br />business applicants from San Leandro for the County program highlights the large unmet need in the <br />City. <br />Staff recommends that an additional $400,000 in General Fund Reserves be allocated for additional <br />business grants. This amount would provide 80 additional grants of up to $5,000 to impacted San <br />Leandro businesses. Cumulatively, the City grant efforts since March 2020 will assist up to 200 San <br />Leandro businesses. <br />It is recommended that the proposed $400,000 be distributed to businesses that have applied to the <br />Alameda County CARES Small Business Grant program and did not previously receive a grant from the <br />San Leandro Small Business Continuity Grant Program. Businesses would then be selected via lottery, <br />in the same manner as the Alameda County grants, due to the high volume of applications and in order <br />to expedite and more efficiently distribute the grants. More information about the Alameda County <br />CARES Small Business Grant program, including business eligibility, may be found in the attached <br />program flyer or at www.eastbayeda.org/grants. <br />Legal Analysis <br />The Resolution authorizing the allocation of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) from the General <br />Funds Reserves to address business and community needs during the COVID-19 pandemic was <br />Page 3 City of San Leandro Printed on 1/14/2021 <br />131