(The Center Square) – The City of Spokane invites businesses and nonprofits to apply for grants of up to $45,000 to offset revenue losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city also welcomes nonprofit financial institutions to submit proposals about how federal stimulus funds could aid first-time homebuyers on lower incomes.
Funding for these programs comes from the $81 million in American Rescue Plan funds received by the city to spur economic recovery.
The city council has set aside $2 million for down payment assistance. To qualify, potential homebuyers must have a family income below 200% of the region’s median income, or $100,000 per year.
Parameters for these funds also include the ability of applicants to provide proof of income eligibility and the location of a home.
Firms interested in helping distribute ARP dollars to potential homebuyers must submit a proposal about how that will be accomplished to the city by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21.
That same deadline is in place for small businesses seeking to apply for $45,000 grants that are intended as reimbursement of expenses already paid since March 2020. And for grant applications from nonprofits that want to recoup expenses paid from the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
The city announced Tuesday that funding for these three programs will be awarded through a public process that involves the review and evaluation of application materials for eligibility and competitiveness.
Information about each opportunity can be found online at my.spokanecity.org/ARPA. The online portal walks applicants through eligibility criteria and what documentation is required with a proposal submission.