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Cloud County awarded $132,000 in grant funds

Cloud County is one of 66 Kansas cities and counties to be awarded Community Development Block Grant Response Supplement (CDBG-CV) funds.
Governor Laura Kelly announced that Cloud County will receive $132,000 in funds to help local businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nearly $9 million in CDBG-CV funds were awarded.
“Kansans have faced unprecedented challenges during the past few months due to COVID-19,” Kelly said, “Our communities need relief – and they need it now. I'm pleased to announce additional resources to help Kansans navigate through the recovery process. These grants will help our communities rebuild their economies and support Kansas families.”
Cloud County submitted an application for $300,000 in funds on May 26.
“I am very happy that we received dollars to help our small businesses. Any amount is going to help,” CloudCorp executive director Kim Reynolds said.
CloudCorp worked with North Central Regional Planning Commission on submitting the application for the CDBG-CV grant.
Grants will be available in two categories — economic development and meal programs.
Economic development grants provide communities with funding to help local businesses retain jobs for low to moderate-income people, covering working capital expenses such as inventory, wages and utilities.
Meal program grants can be directed toward organizations such as Meals on Wheels and local food banks or to support organizations providing meals for children affected by the loss of school meal programs.
“The COVID-19 crisis has left many communities searching for resources to support their residents and businesses,” Secretary of Commerce David Toland said, “The CDBG-CV award provides cities and counties with the ability to determine where the greatest need in their community lies and to provide some relief as we move into the recovery phase of the crisis.”
CDBG funds are one of the primary tools used by the Department of Commerce in supporting the state's small, predominantly rural communities.
The CDBG-CV grants are part of the state's allocation from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and are designed to help Kansas communities respond to the needs of their residents and businesses during the reopening phase of the state.
Reynolds said that CloudCorp will be working with North Central Regional Planning and the state for guidance on developing an application for the grant funds.
“It will be similar, if not the same as, regular documentation for Community Development Block Grant funding,” Reynolds said.
Any businesses in Cloud County wanting to know if they meet the qualifications for the grant funds, or how much is available, can contact CloudCorp.
To be eligible for a CDBG-CV grant a business must be a for-profit business in existence as of March 1, 2020, and retaining jobs for low to moderate-income people and 51 percent or more of the full-time equivalent jobs retained must be for persons from low to moderate-income households as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
To date, the Department of Commerce has received 106 award applications totaling more than $32 million.
Applications were processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. While all funds for this round of CDBG-CV have been awarded, the Department of Commerce expected to receive approximately $7 million in additional funding in a second round of CDBG funds through the CARES Act. More information will be announced as it is made available from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

 

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