09/01/2020 - City of Port Orchard Provides Rental Relief Grants to Small Businesses
City of Port Orchard Provides Rental Relief Grants to Small Businesses
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mayor’s Office
Sept. 1, 2020
(360) 876-4407
PORT ORCHARD, WA(Sept.1, 2020) — The City of Port Orchard has approved and funded twelve Port Orchard Cares rent relief grants to assist local small businesses.The City of Port Orchard
made$100,000 available through the federal CARES Act to assist qualifying business owners with rent-related expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Running a small business is a challenging pursuit in any economic environment,” said Mayor Rob Putaansuu. “The pandemic has made it exponentially more difficult, yet the vast majority
of our local business owners have adapted and pushed through;making things work to the best of their abilities. The Port Orchard CARES rent relief program is a small yet welcome benefit.”
The funding program is designed to reimburse business-related commercial rent or lease expenses for up to six months between April-September 2020. Port Orchard businesses will receive
up to $5,000 based on the impact that COVID-19 has had on each entity.
“We are beyond grateful to the City of Port Orchard, Mayor Putaansuu, and the city council for leading our community through this pandemic and making the Small Business Rent Relief Grant
available to local businesses like ours,” said Steven Pace, owner, CrossFit NXNW. “CrossFit NXNW has been a small business in Port Orchard since 2013. This year has by far been the most
challenging, but thanks to our tight-knit community and our local leadership, we have been able to mitigate some of the economic impact of Covid-19. This grant will help us to continue
practicing what we love – fitness, health, and community.”
“Having recently stepped into ownership of The Grey House Cafe during a global pandemic has been stressful, to say the least,” said Nathan Landry, co-owner of the Bethel-based restaurant
facility. “This grant gives us peace of mind that everything will be okay and we will be able to one day throw the doors open and welcome the community back to our restaurant. The entire
Grey House team would like to thank the local community and the City of Port Orchard for their unwavering support during this unprecedented time."
“It hurts to see our downtown businesses struggling during this pandemic so to have the city step up and help the community warms my heart,” said Bobbie Stewart, owner, Olde Central
Antique Mall. “This funding meets a critical need to pay our back rent so we can feel financially secure. Thank you, Port Orchard.”
The City and Kitsap Economic Development Alliance continue to work on funding a second round of grant applications.
To learn more about this and other grant programs and how to apply, visit the Kitsap Economic Development Alliancewebsite.
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