For immediate release:
8:30 a.m. – Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Last Update: Tuesday, October 27th at 12 p.m.
San Isabel Electric is compiling a list of economic relief resources available to residential and commercial members the cooperative serves in southern Colorado. This list will be updated periodically. To receive additional support locating economic relief opportunities or to report a resource, please email us at contactus@siea.com.
Businesses and Nonprofits
- Federal Loans, Grants, and other Financial Relief
- PPE and Supplies
- Business Guidance
- Free Professional Services
- Information to Help Manage Your Business
Energize Colorado Gap Fund – *Application deadline extended to Wed. October 28 at 5 pm*
The Energize Colorado Gap Fund will provide more than $25 million in small business loans and grants to boost small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Sole proprietors, businesses and nonprofits with less than 25 full-time employees can apply for up to a $15,000 grant and a $20,000 loan for a possible combined total of $35,000 in financial assistance. The application is scheduled for an August 1, 2020 launch.
Huerfano County Business Recovery Grant
The Huerfano County Business Recovery Grant allows eligible businesses to apply for up to $5000 in reimbursements for incurred expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide financial relief.
The Colorado Office of Economic Development’s Small Business Alternative Funding resource list.
Explore the COVID-19 Small Business Response Resources from the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC). For further assistance, get connected with the Southern Colorado SBDC: southernco@coloradosbdc.org
COVID-19 Assistance: Free Legal Advice & Help for Colorado Small Businesses. This website matches small businesses that need limited free legal advice regarding COVID-19 related issues with volunteer lawyers.
COventure Forward, a program through the University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business, connects entrepreneurs and small businesses with mentors.
KIVA and Colorado Lending Source are offering 0% interest loans without fees up to $15,000.
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
Are you a farmer or rancher whose operation has been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19.
The USDA’s Federal Rural Resource Guide details funding opportunities identified in the CARES Act and other federal resources that can help support rural America.
Pueblo Business Economic Recovery Team Business Guide
Resource Guide with loans, list of community banks, and additional COVID-19 resources for Southern Colorado businesses.
Food Security Task Force Survey
The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Food Security Task Force is working to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on the food/ag supply chain in Colorado. The goal is to keep open lines of communication with producers statewide in an effort to identify both barriers and opportunities for ensuring food security across the supply chain.
Resources to support the Creative Industries during COVID-19 on the Colorado Creative Industries webpage.
COVID-19 Updates and Resources for Manufacturers on the Manufacturer’s Edge webpage.
Professional Beauty Association Relief Fund
The fund provides $500 to licensed beauty professionals who are unable to work due to COVID-19. The funding is intended to be emergency aid for short-term immediate needs such as food and bills.
Resources for Managing Employees
- Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s Work-Share Program and Layoff Assistance.
- Connect Frontline workers with resources and resource navigators through WorkLife Partnership. Free for businesses under 500 employees through May 31st.
- Create an account and post your jobs at Connecting Colorado. Local Workforce Centers are available to assist with the posting process.
- The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) will reimburse American private employers that have fewer than 500 employees with tax credits for the cost of providing employees with paid leave taken for specified reasons related to COVID-19.
The Colorado Tourism Office’s Recommended talking points for COVID-19 and Colorado travel.
The CDC’s Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers.
OTHER
Hotline
For assistance, call the 211 COVID-19 Pandemic all-purpose assistance hotline.
Energy Bill Support
- The Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) provides one-time heating assistance to qualifying individuals, families and older adults to help cover the cost of utility bills. Visit the website or call 1-866-432-8435.
- Contact Energy Outreach Colorado to learn more about their Home Energy Relief Fund and Emergency Heating System Repair/Replacement program. You can also reach them by calling 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435).
Tax Payments
- The Colorado income tax payment deadline has been extended for all Colorado taxpayers by 90 days until July 15, 2020. All income tax returns that were required to be filed by April 15, 2020 are granted a six-month extension, and are due on or before October 15, 2020.
Food Access
- Hunger Free Colorado’s COVID-19 Food Resources Guide.
- The Pueblo Food Project compiled a public list of available food resources in Pueblo County.
Child Care
- The Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) helps families that are homeless, working, searching for work or in school find low-income child care assistance. Families that are enrolled in the Colorado Works Program can also use CCCAP services.
- The Colorado Shines Childcare Referral Program helps families by providing referrals to child care, financial assistance information, and education about the quality and availability of care.
Healthcare:
- The CARES Act (S.3548) requires all private insurance plans to cover COVID-19 treatments and vaccine and makes all coronavirus tests free.
Paid Sick Leave:
- The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) published emergency rules which temporarily require employers in certain industries to provide a small amount of paid sick leave to employees with flu-like symptoms while awaiting COVID-19 testing.
- The U.S. Department of Labor launched an interactive online tool to help workers determine if they qualify for paid sick leave or extended family and medical leave to cover time away from work for reasons related to the coronavirus.
Unemployment
- Unemployment Claims:
- If you work for an employer that closed or reduced your hours to help stop the spread of COVID-19, you can file or reopen an unemployment claim through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
- Onward Colorado’s One-stop resource for those impacted by job loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Connecting Colorado hub for Job Seekers and Employers.
Emergency Rental Assistance
- For landlords and tenants
- Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP)
- Property Owner Preservation (POP) Program
Broadband
The Colorado Broadband Office has news, information, and resources to help communities stay connected during this challenging time.
Mortgage Forbearance
Federal regulators, through the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (they cover about half of all home loans in the US), are ordering lenders to offer homeowners flexibility with mortgage payments. Under the plan, people who have suffered a loss of income can qualify to make reduced payments or be granted a complete pause in payments for up to 12 months. Homeowners need to contact their servicer (the lender that they send the check to every month) and that lender will work with them to be able to work out a payment plan.
- Student Loans – CARES Act (S.3548)
- All loan and interest payments will be deferred through Sept. 30 without penalty to the borrower for all federally owned student loans. Contact your provider to establish deferment.
- Schools are permitted to turn unused work-study funds into supplemental grants and continue paying work study wages while schools are suspended.
- Students who drop out of school as a result of the coronavirus won’t have that time away from school deducted from their lifetime limits on subsidized loan and Pell grant eligibility
- Employers can provide up to $5,250 in tax-free student loan repayment benefits. That means an employer could contribute to loan payments and workers wouldn’t have to include that money as income.
Restaurant Workers
The Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation provides emergency funding to those employed by or own restaurants or bars and suppliers that are faced with unforeseen expenses not covered by insurance.
Community Support
The Pueblo West Fire Department will provide a welfare check of residents who may not otherwise have anyone to check on them and meet any special needs they might have during this time of protective orders. A fire department crew member can be sent to check on a person and meet any reasonable need that they might otherwise not be able to do themselves during this executive order time period.
Mental Health Services
Energize Colorado’s list of free and low-cost therapists and support groups.
COVID-19 and Nursing Homes
Answers to some of the most common questions about coronavirus in nursing homes.
Local Business Marketplaces
For More Information
Visit the Official Colorado COVID-19 Website
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