North Andover Gives Out $250k In Small Business, Rent Grants
NORTH ANDOVER, MA — A pair of grant programs created in North Andover in response to the coronavirus have funded $250,000 of rent and mortgage payments, town officials told the Board of Selectmen Monday.
The bulk of the grants, $222,529, have gone to local small businesses, through a program backed by Columbia Gas settlement funds. Another $27,450 has gone to households at or below the median income, using Affordable Housing Trust funds.
The two programs were approved by the Board of Selectmen April 6.
The small business relief program received 214 applications before the deadline, Monday, town Economic Development Director Andrew Shapiro said. They have so far funded 106 businesses, for one month of rent or a mortgage payment, up to $3,000.
Eighteen percent of the grants have gone to barbershops and hair salons, which have been forced to close due to the coronavirus. Significant numbers have also gone to restaurants, pet care businesses, and nail salons.
The housing grant program has received 52 applications, Administrative Services Director Laurie Burzlaff said. In addition to 10 approvals, which account for $27,450 in funding, another seven applications are approved pending additional documents. Those are worth $12,963 in funding.
>>North Andover Coronavirus: Town Meeting Delay, Grant Programs
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Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.
This article originally appeared on the North Andover Patch
