Buena Park Helps Small Businesses Endure Amidst Pandemic With $10,000 Grants

City of Buena Park emerges as the first Orange County city to provide a small business emergency grant relief program.

BUENA PARK, CA. — The City of Buena Park has announced a grant program to help its commercial storefronts experiencing financial losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In support of businesses that may not have secured federal pandemic-relief funds, Buena Park became Orange County’s first city to offer direct financial assistance. “Our struggling small businesses need help to stay in existence and the City wants to assist as much as we can,” said Mayor Fred Smith. Businesses that meet the City’s eligibility requirements and as well as Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) conditions can apply Thursday, May 21, at 8:00 a.m. through Friday, May 22, at 5:00 p.m.

City of Buena Park officials advise business owners to attend a webinar on Monday, May 18 at 12:00 p.m. with the City and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) where representatives will present information on the grant program and answer questions in real-time. Additional webinars will be available on Tuesday, May 19 at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. with Korean and Spanish translation, respectively. To register for the webinar and learn more about the program, visit: buenapark.com/businessgrant. 

Seeking to help many struggling business owners, the City of Buena Park partnered with the Small Business Development Center hosted by California State University, Fullerton, to provide businesses direct access to critical, debt-free funding. Buena Park small business owners are urged to contact the SBDC for help in applying. The SBDC can also help the grant awardees — at no cost — with the grant application and preparing additional documents required to receive funding.

The City allocated $500,000 to provide approximately 50 Buena Park businesses affected by COVID-19 with $10,000 grant opportunities. Applicants must meet the City’s requirements, including meeting CDBG eligibility criteria, having an active business license and 10 or less full-time employees. Awardees will be selected by lottery during a Facebook Live event and will be personally notified. More details on the lottery event will be announced by the city.

Buena Park Mayor Pro Tempore, Connor Traut is committed to helping businesses in the city recover from the crisis. “While the additional capital infusion will not eliminate all of the challenges affecting our local storefronts, we are working to provide relief, where we can, so that more businesses will remain operational,” he said. “We’re investing in their long-term sustainability.”

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City of Buena Park
Incorporated in 1953, Buena Park has a diverse population of 83,000 with a rich heritage that dates back to the late 1800s. Known as the “Center of the Southland,” Buena Park includes beautiful residential areas, excellent cultural and recreational facilities, and a flourishing business economy within its 10.3 square miles. What was once an agricultural area with dairy farms, orange groves and berry fields has grown to become the entertainment and tourism center of southern California. For more information visit: www.buenapark.com