The City of Newark is currently accepting input from the community regarding its plan to spend a recent $3,500,308 federal allocation.
A public notice released by Newark’s municipal government earlier this month says that $2 million worth of funding that had been allocated in September through the Community Development Block Grant Program as part of the CARES Act could be used for rental assistance while $1.2 million could be used for microenterprise assistance.
The notice also indicates that $300,308 could be spent on “special economic development activities,” but according to a spokesperson for the municipal government, these funds would also be used for microenterprise assistance for small businesses.
City Hall is seeking to complete a substantial amendment to its previous annual action plan through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in order to facilitate this, with the notice mentioning that “the action plan will be amended to incorporate these funds as an additional resource to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.”
The City of Newark recently held information sessions over Facebook Live regarding how residents can submit applications for emergency rental assistance and emergency small business grants.
Comments from members of the public regarding the proposal must be submitted to Jenine Hazzard-Williams of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development by Wednesday, December 23, according to the notice, which adds that the traditionally required 30-day minimum for a public comment period has been waived “given the need to expedite actions to respond to COVID-19.”
Hazzard-Williams can be reached by email at [email protected].
