Businesses everywhere were faced with unprecedented challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic brought shutdowns, loss of income and layoffs.
Meanwhile, some entrepreneurial hopefuls had to put opening their businesses on pause, like Kindred Spirits bar owner Quintin Hughes Sr. who paid rent for about six months on a space he didn’t feel right about opening to customers.
Finally, the bar that hopes to give visitors “an unapologetically Black experience” opened on NE 23 between Martin Luther King and Prospect Avenues in April 2021, but not without its challenges.
“We grappled with being financially responsible for fulfilling our obligations, while at the same time feeling a sense of responsibility for the health of our community,” Hughes said.
Because the bar had not been open prior to the pandemic, Hughes said it didn’t qualify for some federal relief. But he said it did receive funding last year through the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City. With those CARES Act funds, Kindred Spirits received website design services and made improvements to its outdoor patio space.
Now, a new round of funding is available through the American Rescue Plan Act, distributed by the Alliance, and focuses on minority-owned and low-income neighborhood businesses.
Funding for ‘those who are most in need’
About $20 million in federal relief funds will be distributed by the alliance through its new OKC Rescue Program. Joseph Laws, program manager, said the goal is to get assistance to the businesses and areas that need it most.
The American Rescue Plan Act requires certain funds to be reserved for businesses located in qualifying census tracts, where at least half of the household incomes are less than 60% of the area median income.
Laws said the alliance wanted to include minority-owned businesses as well due to a study that showed disparities existed before and because of the pandemic impact in Oklahoma City business landscape.
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The study, done by consultants with Ernst & Young, found that only 2% of OKC businesses are Black-owned, while Black residents make up 13% of the city’s population. Hispanic people are 21% of the population, but own only 5% of businesses.
“There are a lot of minority and disadvantaged groups that live within qualified census tracts, but there are some that are outside of it,” Laws said. “So that gives us a bit more flexibility to serve those who are most in need, and help ensure that we have an equitable economic recovery coming out of the pandemic.”
The application opened Monday for the three forms of assistance, and Laws said he has already received several applications. He said the Alliance hopes to assist 200 to 300 businesses and nonprofits through this program.
The Alliance is under a contract with the City of Oklahoma City to distribute the ARPA funds.
What are the three forms of assistance in the OKC Rescue Program?
There are three different assistance programs available, and eligible businesses can apply for all through a single form.
The first is up to $15,000 in technical assistance for help with marketing, accounting, website design, human resources and more. Any nonprofit or business with less than 100 full-time employees can qualify if it can demonstrate a negative economic impact due to COVID-19, is a minority owned business or is located in a qualified census tract.
Once a business or nonprofit is approved for the program, it can choose from the Alliance’s pre-approved vendors to complete the work, and the vendors will be paid directly by the Alliance.
“It (is) a good way to deliver really fast, hands-on support to businesses,” Laws said.
Businesses also can be reimbursed up to $25,000 for permanent façade and storefront improvements that began after March 3, 2021, or that are complete within 12 months of program approval. Projects can include new signage, windows, paint, awnings and more.
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Lastly, businesses can receive up to $25,000 in reimbursement for physical changes to the business related to pandemic mitigation. These measures could include new ventilation, outdoor seating, partitions and barriers, signage and more.
Nonprofits and businesses can find out more, like if they are in a qualified census tract, and apply for the relief at okcrescueprogram.com.
Alliance hopes to eliminate barriers to assistance
The Alliance has enlisted several community partners in spreading the word and helping business owners with applications, including the OKC Black Chamber, the Hispanic Chamber and Latino Community Development Agency.
Joanne Davis, executive director for the OKC Black Chamber of Commerce, said she sees herself and her staff as “boots on the ground.”
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In addition to bringing awareness, Davis said there is an element of making business owners realize applying for the assistance is worth their time.
“What happens at small businesses, and I don’t care what ethnicity they are, they’re often working 12 to 15 hours a day,” Davis said. “And … by the time they hear something, and it requires certain pieces of documentation, it’s often a little too late.”
Laws said the Alliance hopes to eliminate barriers to receiving assistance. The application is fully online and could even be done on a mobile phone, he said.
Program allows business owners to think ‘creatively’ about improvements
With the new round of funding available, Hughes said he is eyeing all three programs for improvements to his Kindred Spirits bar. One thing on his wish list is making the patio usable throughout the year, while still having good ventilation.
“We had already planned to have (the patio),” Hughes said. “We didn’t expect to have to rely on it as much as we ended up doing.”
Hughes said he is glad to see the steps the Alliance has taken to make the relief something businesses and nonprofits can easily access.
The Northeast OKC Renaissance, of which Hughes sits on the board of directors, is among the community partners ready to assist with applications. Hughes said anyone needing help can email hello@neokcr.org.
“I would encourage our business owners to be applying as soon as possible,” Hughes said. “Be thinking creatively about the things that you can do to improve your business.”
