COVID-19 News and Updates

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Catalyst Community Capital is accepting applications from qualified Cape Coral businesses for technical assistance/grants. In response to COVID-19 and its impact on Cape Coral businesses, Catalyst Community Capital, in partnership with the City of Cape Coral, will be providing a limited number of technical assistance/grants to qualified small businesses located in low- and moderate-income areas within the City of Cape Coral. 

 The City of Cape Coral will be utilizing Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to establish an emergency business grant program, which will provide a $3,000 technical assistance grant to small businesses with between 2 to 5 employees that are experiencing severe financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the grant funds, the program will provide legal, accounting and financial technical assistance.

 Applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify for Program funding:

1. Demonstrate COVID-related hardship.
2. The owner of the business must live in Cape Coral.
3. The business must have been in existence for at least two years.
4. The business must be located within designated areas contained within the municipal boundaries of the City of Cape Coral (Click here to verify your business is located within the eligible area.)
5. The business must have a physical location that is not located in a residence. Home-based businesses are not eligible.
6. The business must be current with all city, state and federal licensing and financial obligations, including taxes.

The grant proceeds may be used for business expenses such as operating costs, equipment purchases, rehabilitation of commercial space (including engineering, architectural and permitting fees) and on marketing expenditures.

For application assistance or questions, please contact Leigh Scrabis at leigh@catalystcd.com.

HOW FEMA CAN HELP FACILITIES PAY FOR COVID-RELATED EXPENSES?
How Does FEMA Help? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!
As school districts, businesses, and nonprofit organizations open back up, they are spending money on disinfecting their facilities. They may need to cover the cost of renting temporary facilities, buying materials, and training employees on new safety procedures. Thankfully, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has grants and other programs in place to help organizations safely reopen their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Big John Asks Cape Coral to Mask Up Against COVID-19
Read the Full Story Here


City Launches “Mask Up Cape Coral” Public Awareness Campaign 
Download Your Mask Up Flyer 

The City of Cape Coral is launching a “Mask Up Cape Coral” public awareness campaign encouraging residents and visitors to use face coverings to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The campaign will continue through the summer and will be extended if needed.

The campaign will focus on the importance of wearing masks. Most people understand social distancing, washing hands frequently, and other CDC safety recommendations can help slow the spread of the virus. The City is encouraging everyone to wear cloth face coverings in public settings, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

“Masks have been proven to be effective at mitigating the spread of COVID-19. Please do your part by wearing a mask. Spread the word, not the virus,” said Fire Chief Ryan Lamb.

The “Mask Up Cape Coral” campaign will include billboard messages near the Cape Coral Parkway and Midpoint Memorial Bridges, banners over Del Prado Boulevard at Veterans Parkway, kiosk messages along SE 47^th Terrace, social media posts, and other digital and print messages. The City will be providing campaign graphics and flyers that can be downloaded from the City’s COVID-19 website (capecoral.net/COVID-19). The City also has partnered with the South Cape Community Redevelopment Agency, Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce, Cape Coral Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, and South Cape Hospitality & Entertainment Associations (SCHEA) to distribute flyers to businesses who encourage or require face coverings.

Any business that will be requiring masks in support of this campaign can have their business listed on the City’s COVID-19 web page. Please send an email to ecodev@capecoral.net if you want your business listed on the “Mask Up Cape Coral” page.

Applications For Mortgage Assistance
In response to COVID-19 and its impact on Cape Coral homeowners, the Cape Coral Housing Development Corporation in partnership with the City of Cape Coral State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP) is providing limited assistance to low-income homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments. Click Here to learn more and apply.

Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program Opens for Lender Registration. Start the Lender Registration Here.
The Federal Reserve kicked off its long-awaited $600 billion emergency lending program for midsize businesses, announcing that banks can now register to participate. Under the Main Street program, the Fed will buy 95 percent of a bank loan to a company with up to 15,000 employees or up to $5 billion in annual revenue, although it’s primarily designed to help firms too large to qualify for the government-backed Paycheck Protection Program loans for small businesses.

CAPE CORAL AND COVID-19 IMPACTS - SPECIAL REPORT