The City of Soldotna is opening the application period for new COVID relief grant programs on Thursday, October 1.
During the month of October, the City of Soldotna will be accepting applications for two new COVID relief grant programs: Economic Relief for Residents, as well as Phase II of Soldotna CARES Business Grants. In addition, the City has provided $250,000 to the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank to launch a new weekly food box distribution service.
In a release issued by the City of Soldotna, they have offered an explanation about the various aspects of the programs.
Economic Relief for Residents: This program provides direct economic relief for Soldotna households that have suffered financial hardship due to COVID-19. The program will provide up to $1,500 in a one-time payment to eligible Soldotna households to help cover the cost of essential services such as food, childcare, utilities, insurance, and medical bills.
John Czarnezki, Director of Economic Development and Planning offered details on this program at a recent City Council meeting: “We do have 1,800, roughly 1,800 households in the city, and as it’s currently proposed for funding at $1.5 million, that would serve basically 1,000 households. We aren’t sure about what to expect but we do know that as Councilmember Parker noted, there are a number of folks struggling to meet daily needs, including things like child care. So, some of the eligible expenses under this program do include utilities, whether it’s heating oil, telephone, internet, those types of things. Also, groceries, household needs, insurance costs, medical expenses, rent, and mortgage. Those are some of the basics.”
Phase II Small Business Grants: Soldotna businesses that have experienced a drop in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic will be eligible to receive a grant award up to 15% of their gross sales from 2019, capped at a maximum award of $35,000; and smaller businesses with annual revenues between $15,000 and $25,000 are eligible to receive a grant of $1,000. Phase II Business Grant applications will be accepted October 1-30, and may be submitted by email, mail, or dropped off at City Hall. Grant awards will be made on a rolling basis, and approximately $2,654,000 is allocated for the program.
Weekly Food Boxes: In addition to the two new grant programs, the city has partnered with the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank to provide weekly food boxes for distribution to area households who may be struggling to secure basic household needs during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Food boxes will be available beginning in early October at three pickup locations in Soldotna, and will be provided free of charge to any household in need. A weekly schedule of days, times, and locations for pickups will be posted on the City’s webpage when available.
There is still time to apply for other COVID relief programs in Soldotna, including housing relief by visiting www.SoldotnaHousingRelief.org, utility relief for residential customers, and the City’s Virtual Storefront Improvement Program for local businesses.
For more information about any of these programs, including complete program guidelines and applications, please visit www.Soldotna.org/CARES.