At its September 13 meeting, the Greenbelt City Council unanimously approved an initial set of relief measures to fund using federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. These include $500,000 for rental and utility assistance, $500,000 for business assistance, $500,000 for mortgage/fee assistance and $100,000 for assistance to nonprofits, including food banks, and for two contract employees to assist city staff in reviewing and processing the applications and delivering funds to those in need. The $1.6 million approved represents approximately 7 percent of the funds the city will receive over the next two years.
Assistance is aimed at residents and businesses who suffered financial hardship due to Covid-19. Various documents are required as part of the application process to establish need. In addition, residents with income exceeding the qualification criteria will be ineligible for assistance.
Rent/Mortgage Help
Rental and mortgage assistance will be capped at $10,000. Residents who received funding from earlier Covid-relief programs will only be eligible for the difference between $10,000 and the amount of the earlier grant. Those needing more than $10,000 will be referred to the county rental and utility assistance program which is offering up to 18 months of assistance.
The eligibility criteria for both programs include caps on income based upon household size. The mortgage assistance program can be used to repay past-due mortgage and homeowners/condominium association (HOA/CA) or co-op fees.
For approved applicants, checks will be made out to the landlord, mortgage holder, HOA/CA or to Greenbelt Homes, Inc.
The mortgage assistance program criteria may be revised in the future, once the State of Maryland releases its requirements.
Business Assistance
The program also provides assistance to Greenbelt businesses to support operating and workforce-related expenses related to business interruption, improvements and continuity such as rent, utilities, advertising, employee hiring and recruitment, training and onboarding, personal protective equipment and outdoor space building out or expansion. Applications will be accepted between Monday, October 4 and Friday, October 29 and will be reviewed by a committee of key stakeholders to ensure fairness and equitableness. The maximum grant will be $20,000. (Comparable application dates were not provided for the residential programs.)
Council Discussion
Councilmember Judith Davis moved to include a requirement that businesses receiving grants pay all staff at least the full minimum wage, not the tipped wage. Councilmember Emmett Jordan urged that legal fees (such as late fees) be eligible for reimbursement. Mayor Colin Byrd accepted this as part of his motion. Resident Lore Rosenthal pointed out that Community Legal Services is providing pro bono services to renters facing eviction.
Byrd called for identifying preferential criteria for business and nonprofit assistance, including businesses owned or operated by residents, women- and minority-owned businesses, nonprofits involved in health and mental health and businesses involved in public safety. He also wanted priority given to businesses hiring Greenbelt residents. Councilmember Silke Pope noted that she could not support all of Byrd’s criteria and worried that he was making the criteria too specific. Davis worried that this could prevent the city from providing assistance to a really good Greenbelt business. Byrd agreed to take out the preference for women- and minority-owned businesses and to expand his criteria to accept businesses hiring county residents.
Byrd then proposed to use $25,000 of ARP funding to provide hiring bonuses for five new police officers. This did not fly with his colleagues. Several noted that the city has just sworn in some new officers. How would they react to being a few days too early to qualify for a bonus? Councilmember Rodney Roberts opposed Byrd’s proposal noting that once the city starts giving bonuses it would have to continue to do so. City Solicitor Todd Pounds cautioned council that this would need to be negotiated with the Fraternal Order of Police. Byrd withdrew this motion.
City Manager Nicole Ard said that the city will publish information about the programs using newsletters, social media and faith-based organizations. Councilmember Edward Putens urged that a special effort be made to ensure that condominium/homeowner associations be notified, not just their management companies.
