Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 (CDBG-CV) - Microenterprise Assistance Program
Town of Natick, Massachusetts
Department of Community and Economic Development
13 East Central Street Natick, Massachusetts 01760
Telephone (508) 647-6450
www.natickma.org
James Freas, AICP Director
PRESS RELEASE DATE: July 20th, 2020
TO: Media outlets
FROM: Town of Natick, Community & Economic Development
RE: Natick - COVID19 Small Business Assistance Grants Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 (CDBG-CV) - Microenterprise Assistance Program
Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 (CDBG-CV) - Microenterprise Assistance Program
Natick, MA (July 20th, 2020) - On Thursday, July 16th, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that a consortium of twenty three (23) communities across Metropolitan Boston, including Natick, was the recipient of a $4,950,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) to assist small businesses reopen from the COVID19 pandemic. This funding is part of a $19.6 million award to the state from the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to address emergency needs resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, the resources awarded to the consortium will used for grants of up to $10,000 for microenterprises – for-profit businesses that have five (5) or fewer employees, including the owner. Real estate rental/sales enterprises, businesses owned by persons under age 18, chain businesses, liquor stores, weapons / firearms dealers, lobbyists and/or cannabis-related businesses cannot receive grants from this program. The Town of Natick will assist Ashland, the lead community for the consortium, in collaborating with the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) to administer and monitor this grant program. MGCC will administer application processes and payments to businesses. Applications will become available in the coming weeks. Individual cities and towns will be responsible for distributing application information to their local microenterprises. Communities in this coalition include Ashland, Beverly, Burlington, Canton, Concord, Dedham, Essex, Lexington, Manchester by the Sea, Marlborough, Melrose, Milton, Natick, North Reading, Norwood, Randolph, Reading, Sharon, Southborough, Stoneham, Watertown, Winchester or Woburn. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) assisted in the formation of the consortium and preparation of the funding application to DHCD.
