Supervisor Hillary Ronen - COVID19 Update More Help Is On the Way Newsletter

Small Businesses, Helping Our Unhoused Neighbors, & Undocumented Workers’ Resources in Chinese
 
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April 13, 2020

More Help is on the Way

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you and yours are staying safe and well. During this stressful time, our office is here for you.

My team and I have have been working around the clock to: Below is a brief update on some of our efforts and a list of federal, local, and state help for small businesses.

Last week, we sent information for undocumented workers’ programs in English and Spanish. You can view it here.

The information was not yet available in Chinese, but our office arranged for its translation.

Here is that same information in Chinese: 加州無證勞工紓困基金

如要獲取更多有關無證勞工僱傭法律權益的資訊, 請參見無證勞工資訊便覽以及我們的冠狀病毒常見問題(FAQ)。

My office is here for you. We are available by email: ronenstaff@sfgov.org or by phone at 415-554-5144 (leave a message, and we will call you back-- we are checking voicemail frequently). Check for updates on my Twitter and  Facebook.

Our Fight to House the Homeless is Working

My colleagues Supervisor Matt Haney, Dean Preston, Aaron Peskin, Shamann Walton, Gordon Mar, and I have been shouting for weeks that we must use San Francisco’s 30,000+ vacant hotel rooms to safely house our homeless neighbors.

We have all been told told to shelter in place and avoid contact with large groups. Unquestionably, that public health principle also applies to people who are unhoused. We have an obligation to care for our homeless population—not just morally, but for the good of our collective public health. We are all connected.

We got a lot of pushback from both the Mayor and the Director of the Human Services Agency, who claimed that our homeless neighbors wouldn’t want the rooms and that this step would not be "fiscally prudent." So I went and asked the people living on the street themselves. Watch below to see what they had to say.
The recent shelter outbreak could have been prevented weeks ago.

Finally, after a lot of pressure, the Mayor and her department head have shifted course, and we are on our way to obtaining 7,000 hotel rooms.

We Won More Financial Relief
for Small Businesses

The Shelter-in-Place order, while absolutely essential for public health, has businesses scrambling to figure out how to stay afloat.

San Francisco small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and the soul of our neighborhoods.

I spearheaded and won the establishment of SF HELP, the SF Hardship Emergency Loan Program.

The SF HELP will provide interest-free loans of up to $50,000 with flexible repayment terms to small businesses in crisis during COVID-19. Funds can be used to pay payroll, rent, utilities, inventory and more. Applications are now open.

Small businesses who are suffering because of the health emergency can read more information here. 

Need help applying to SF HELP? Contact any of these San Francisco-based Technical Assistance Centers listed below.
Apply Here

Updated: Local, State, and Federal
Small Business Resources

We are facing unprecedented times and there are a lot of scams related to SBA’s COVID-19 loans and grants. The SBA does not initiate contact on loans or grants. You have to apply. If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from the SBA without you having contacted them first, they may be scamming you. Make sure you protect yourself.

Below is an extensive list of legitimate resources. It may seem overwhelming on where to start. If you need small business assistance and questions on the programs below, call (415) 554- 6134 or email sfosb@sfgov.org. For assistance in Chinese call 415-554-6407. 如需中文業務協助, 請致電 (415)554-6407. Remember to always check oewd.org/covid19 for new information.

Need Help applying to any of these resources below? Contact any of these San Francisco-based Technical Assistance Centers:

Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA)
415-282-3334 | English, Spanish

Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
415-937-7232 | English, Spanish

Renaissance Center
415-541-8580 (SOMA), 415-647-3728 (Bayview)

Southeast Asian Community Center
415-885-2743 | Chinese, Vietnamese

SCORE
415-764-4964

The Berkeley Center for Law and Business has launched a small business resource page for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which includes a two-part video summary of the CARES Act stimulus.

They are also launching a pilot program to match law students with small business owners to provide free support in navigating the CARES Act stimulus process. If you would be interested in participating in this program, please register your interest here.

LOCAL Small Business Help
See City resources for small-businesses here.

In addition to the SF HELP loan program described above, read more about this and other relief programs here.

Check my past newsletter on other resources for small businesses like the moratorium on evictions of small and medium-sized businesses, deferred business taxes for small businesses, deferred business licensing fee, Workers and Families First Program, and private grants for small businesses. You can read it here.

STATE Small Business Help
Review all State resources for small businesses here.

Small businesses interest free deferral of sales/use tax:
Deferral in taxes up to $50,000, for businesses with less than $5 million in taxable sales. Information here.

California Small Business Loan Guarantee Program:
$50 million in state funding, for loan guarantees to small businesses and individuals who do not qualify for federal funds, including low wealth and undocumented immigrant communities. Information here.

Water shutoff protection:
Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that will restrict water shutoffs to homes and small businesses while the state responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. Information here.

90-day extension for tax returns and tax payments: For all businesses filing a return for less than $1 million in taxes. This will allow small businesses to have until July 31 to file their first quarter returns.

State Alcohol and Beverage Control Agency (ABC) Relief:
The State ABC can provide a 30-day relief period for those unable to pay license renewal fees for March/April. You can review their press release and the new payment schedule here.

Extended timeline to file a claim for tax refund by 60 days Information here.

FEDERAL Small Business Help
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering up to $2 million in assistance for small businesses and nonprofits. This includes a $10,000 advance, which does not have to be repaid. An online loan application portal is now available to business owners here.

The new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for businesses with 500 employees or less, includes loans for existing SBA lenders up to $10 million to cover fixed costs with conditions for eventual forgiveness. All eligible businesses and nonprofits are encouraged to apply. To find an approved lender nearest you, cick here.

More Business Information and Support
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is hosting Town Halls regularly on Fridays. Register here.

The will also be hosting a follow up Q&A to discuss managing cash-flow and the federal stimulus package. Register for that follow up session here.

A number of business and employer organizations are providing daily updates and on-going webinars and trainings related to Covid-19.

Follow their updates and resources:
Small Business Majority
California Employers Association
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
 
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Got an upcoming event or opportunity to include in this newsletter? Email Jennifer.Li-D9@sfgov.org
 

Our mailing address is:
Hillary Ronen, District 9 Supervisor
 San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689

 
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