The Kissimmee City Commission Tuesday approved a plan of how to disperse nearly a half million dollars in Community Development Block Grant funds specifically aimed at addressing issues arising from the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Plan outlines the programs and activities the City is going to implement with the $576,285 originally received from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Recently, the City was notified that it will receive an additional allocation of $426,609 (CDBG-CV funds) to specifically address the local needs in response to the coronavirus.
The City proposes to carry out the below activities:
1) Rental and Mortgage Emergency Financial Assistance ($213,305): This program will offer housing financial assistance to low and moderate income households residing in the City of Kissimmee. It will come in the form of one month of rent/mortgage and/or utilities, not to exceed $1,200, in order to prevent eviction/foreclosure. To qualify for assistance, households must be a City of Kissimmee resident; the household income must be less than 80 percent of the average median income (AMI); and must have a documented loss of income related to COVID-19 impacts. This assistance will be provided as a grant. The payments will be made to the landlord or mortgagor on behalf of the individual or family.
2) Micro-Enterprise Grant Assistance ($106,652): This program will offer up to $5,000 in financial assistance to for profit businesses located in the City of Kissimmee with 5 or fewer employees, including the business owner, for rental or mortgage assistance with the conditions listed above.
3) Small Business Grant Assistance Program ($106,652): This program will offer financial assistance to for profit business located in the City of Kissimmee with 6-75 employees, for rental or mortgage assistance with the conditions listed above.
City officials said the application period and process will be announced in the coming weeks.
