The City and County of Denver will release an additional $4 million in COVID-19 emergency funds to support residents, workers and businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19. The city’s COVID-19 Emergency Special Revenue Fund (SRF) will be the funding source after being reimbursed for eligible expenses covered by federal Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) dollars. Denver will use $4 million COVID-19 Emergency Special Revenue Funds for the following additional supports: $1.5M additional CRF to provide grants to local small businesses that have negatively affected by closures due to COVID-19 public health orders. $1 million CRF support for Restaurant and Hotel Workers who live in Denver and have been laid off, furloughed, or had a severe reduction in income due to COV-ID-19.
Program to support residents impacted by COVID to address the continued, growing need for rental and/or utility relief, and to help prevent involuntary displacement and a potential tide of future evictions. “Many people and families are hurting personally and financially due to the coronavirus, and it’s imperative we work in coordination with our state leaders to provide additional relief for our residents and local businesses,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “We are doing everything we can to maximize our local funding and resources to support the Denver community hardest hit by the pandemic.
With additional federal stimulus dollars from Congress to be released soon, tens of thousands of Denver workers and businesses can be helped to avoid laying off or furloughing more workers. Congress must act sooner to keep our economy out of a double-dip recession and even more pain and struggle for our residents.” Any unused CRF citywide and program dollars will be allocated to other eligible 2020 expenses held in general city funds or the COVID-19 Emergency SRF to preserve capacity for emergency and recovery needs into 2021.