$320K In Added Funds To Be Used For Covid Testing, Small Business

Arlington MA

13 November, 2020

3:29 PM

Description

From Your Arlington: Last Updated: 13 November 2020 Written by Joan Roman Comment period ends Wednesday UPDATED, Nov. 12: The Town of Arlington is amending its 2019-2020 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Action Plan to add $320,485, which the town received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The town plans to use the funds to provide tutoring services, open a Covid-19 testing site at Arlington Housing Authority property and address small-business needs. A public comment period is open through 4 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 18. The substantial amendment of the program year 45 annual action plan will program $200,000 to town planning for the Arlington Covid-19 Business Resiliency Program, $60,200 to HHS to subsidize Covid-19 testing for a tenant testing center cofacilitated with the Arlington Housing Authority and $60,285 for a tutoring support program for income-eligible Arlington Public Schools students. The Arlington Covid-19 Business Resiliency Program will support small businesses through a program with two tracks: working capital grants to support business stability and technical assistance consulting to equip businesses in sustaining services and operations that would otherwise not be operating, or operating at a diminished capacity, due to the pandemic. The HHS Program and the APS program will provide two critical public services: a tutoring support program to low-to-moderate-income students in the Arlington Public School system facilitated by the School Department; and a Covid-19 testing site for tenants of the Arlington Housing Authority, co-acilitated by HHS and the Arlington Housing Authority. Public comments may be submitted to Mallory Sullivan, Community Development Block Grant Administrator, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. All comments received and the town's responses will be included in the substantial amendment that is submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Earlier this year, the town was awarded $659,903 in the first tranche of CDBG funds allocated by the CARES Act. This funding was programed to support the Arlington Emergency Tenant Assistance Program, the Arlington Small Business Covid-19 Relief Program for businesses with 5 or fewer employees, and for public service agencies including Arlington EATS, Food Link, the Arlington Council on Aging and the Arlington Boys and Girls Club. All questions regarding the CDBG Program may be directed to Mallory Sullivan, Community Development Block Grant Administrator, at 781-316-3094 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..Read more about the programs and the process for submitting comments at www.arlingtonma.gov/cdbg YourArlington.com has provided news and opinion about Arlington, Mass., since 2006. Publisher Bob Sprague is a former editor at The Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Arlington Advocate. Read more at https://www.yourarlington.com/about.