Mayor Breed announces $62 million small-business relief program, pledges targeted help for nightlife venues

Mayor London Breed on Tuesday announced a $62,000,000 small-business relief program that will provide a mix of grants and low-interest loans to San Francisco businesses affected by COVID-19.

The program, Mayor Breed said during the Jan. 12 Board of Supervisors meeting, builds on a prior $29,000,000 city relief effort and is intended to address gaps that have kept some businesses from accessing state and federal aid.

"This is a major undertaking," Mayor London Breed said. "This new relief package will complement the new federal fundingand the state's COVID-19 relief grant program. The program will fill a number of gaps that exist with our current programs" and will prioritize businesses that have not been able to access existing funds.

Why it matters: Small businesses are a major source of jobs and neighborhood activity in San Francisco, and many neighborhood-serving firms have been unable to reopen during successive COVID-19 surges. Supervisor Matt Haney, who raised concerns about music and entertainment venues, emphasized that nightlife businesses generate significant local economic activity and face particularly acute closure risk.

"These businesses were in many cases the first to close and maybe the last to reopen," Supervisor Haney said, citing research provided in committee that estimated the music and entertainment sector generates billions annually and supports tens of thousands of jobs in the region.

Mayor Breed responded that the city intends to prioritize venues that have been unable to open since the start of the pandemic and that eligible venues should qualify for grants and some of the low-interest loan products that will be offered under the new program.

Details and next steps: The mayor said staff and departments have been working for weeks to finalize the program and that the administration will present implementation plans for the Board and the public in the coming weeks. Specific eligibility rules, application timelines and exact loan terms were not finalized during Tuesday's discussion.

What the city said it will focus on: Breed said the program will 1) target businesses that have not yet reopened, 2) provide both grants and loan options (including loans up to $250,000 mentioned during discussion as part of existing loan products), and 3) coordinate with newly announced federal and state programs to reach firms that have been excluded from other aid.

Quotes and sourcing: All direct quotes in this article are taken from the Jan. 12, 2021 San Francisco Board of Supervisors mayoral appearance and the question-and-answer period recorded in the public transcript.

Looking ahead: Supervisors signaled a willingness to work with the mayor's office to refine carve-outs for nightlife venues and to expedite distribution once eligibility guidelines are set. The mayor said she looked forward to bringing the program to the Board and moving funds as soon as feasible.