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Board Meeting – October 23, 2024 – 4:00pm

Regular Board Meeting Information

Landfill Location and Operating Hours

COVID-19 Assistance Programs

COVID-19 Assistance Programs

Purpose

NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR RENTAL RELIEF ASSISTANCE.

Cumberland County has appropriated a portion of its Federal Community Development Block Grant CARES Funds (CDBG-CV) for the COVID-19 Small Business & Rental Relief Assistance Program. The program is being established to provide working capital funds to eligible small businesses & landlords that have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This funding is available to small businesses & landlords across the entire county, including our boroughs, townships, and the urban centers and CDBG entitlement municipalities of Vineland, Millville, and Bridgeton.

The maximum small business grant award is $10,000.

The maximum rental relief grant award is $20,000.

The minimum grant award is $1,000.

Eligible Small Business Borrowers

Below are the eligibility criteria for small businesses that seek to receive grant funds:

  • Must be a Cumberland County retail, restaurant, entertainment nonprofessional or professional service business with no more than 10 employees, including full-time and part-time employees
  • Must operate from a residential or commercial location, either all year or seasonally, including independent contractors
  • Must operate within a borough, township, or municipality of Cumberland County, NJ
  • Must have been in operation as of December 31, 2019
  • Must have one employee, which can be the business owner, who will be retained and meets the low/moderate income requirement through review of family size and family income, or by living in a low/moderate income area, or by the business being located within a low/moderate income area
  • Any business deemed eligible for federal assistance by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Any business that can certify that it will remain open or reopen if grant funds are approved and received

Eligible Use of Funds - Small Businesses

Below are the eligibility criteria for funds that small businesses receive through the grant:

  • General operating expenses, including but not limited to payroll, mortgage or rent, Internet connection, insurance, loan repayments, inventory or supplies for a 120-day period, costs related to compliance with social distancing protocol and personal protection equipment

Applicants must provide documentation of eligible expenses.

Specifically excluded from eligible expenses are public utility payments and real estate taxes, unless they are in escrow and included in regular mortgage payments.

Furthermore, grant funds under this program may not be used to:

  • Reimburse expenses incurred prior to approval of the grant to the applicant
  • Pay off non-business debt, such as personal credit cards for purchases not associated with the business
  • Reimburse personal expenses
  • Direct financing to political activities or pay off federal or state income taxes and related fines
  • Purchase personal items, or support other businesses in which the borrower may have an interest

Eligible Landlords - Rental Relief

Below are the eligibility criteria for landlords that seek to receive grant funds:

  • Must be a property owner with a residential unit within a borough, township, or municipality of Cumberland County, NJ
  • Must have/had a lease/rental agreement in place with a tenant
  • Any applicant that is a business entity must provide a statement of ownership that displays all ownership interest of 20% or more
  • Applicant must prove their tenant(s) had a lease and rental payments were current during the lease term
  • Applicant must prove their tenant(s) had been impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Applicant must provide documentation for loss of rental income due to the COVID-19 pandemic after March, 16,2020
  • Applicant must have a Certificate of Occupancy, proof of Inspection, and registration in the municipality(s) that require rental registration
  • Applicant must be in good standing with the respective municipality(s) of the rental property with all property taxes being current and no current code violations.

Eligible Use of Funds - Rental Relief

Below are the eligibility criteria for funds that landlords receive through the grant:

  • Past due mortgage or rent (as outlined in tenant lease agreement) and costs incurred or related to eviction

Applicants must provide documentation of eligible expenses.

Specifically excluded from eligible expenses are public utility payments and real estate taxes, unless they are in escrow and included in regular mortgage payments.

Furthermore, grant funds under this program may not be used to:

  • Reimburse expenses incurred prior to approval of the grant to the applicant
  • Pay off non-business debt, such as personal credit cards for purchases not associated with the business
  • Reimburse personal expenses
  • Direct financing to political activities or pay off federal or state income taxes and related fines
  • Purchase personal items, or support other businesses in which the borrower may have an interest

Next Steps

Finished reading the information above and feeling ready to apply?

Below are the next steps:

  1. Click the “Program Details” link in the “Resources” section on the right side of this page, then review the comprehensive details of our COVID-19 Small Business Assistance Program
  2. Determine whether the program would be a good fit for your business, paying close attention to the eligibility information
  3. Click the “Program Application” link in the “Resources” section on the right side of this page, then complete the application
  4. Contact Yazmin Moreno, our Economic Development Liaison, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 856-825-3700 x1234 with any questions about your application
  5. Send Ben your completed application by email to [email protected], by fax to 856-825-8121 with a cover page that reads “Attention: Yazmin Moreno”, or by postal mail to
    • The Authority
    • Attention: Yazmin Moreno
    • 745 Lebanon Road
    • Millville, NJ 08332
  6. Await further updates on your application