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Entertainment commission hears federal, state and local relief updates for nightlife, urges outreach to venues
Summary
The commission heard an update from OEWD on federal Save Our Stages grants, PPP/EIDL changes and local fee-waiver legislation; staff said eligibility and application timing depend on SBA rulemaking and urged rapid outreach and technical assistance for permit holders.
San Francisco Entertainment Commission President Ben Wyman on the commission’s first meeting of the year invited Ben Van Houten of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development to brief commissioners on federal, state and local relief programs for nightlife and entertainment businesses.
Van Houten outlined a mix of aid programs. He described the federal Save Our Stages funding as a roughly $15 billion grant program administered by the Small Business Administration that will award grants to live-entertainment venues and promoters based on 2019 gross revenue and documented revenue loss. "These are not loans; these are going to be grants tied to gross revenue," Van Houten said, noting the program excludes some large operators and that the SBA is still developing rules and guidance. He said the program will phase access based on the degree of revenue loss — early windows prioritize businesses with the greatest declines — and that the SBA plans a small-business set-aside of about $2 billion for firms with fewer than 50 full-time employees in the program’s opening period.
Van Houten also reviewed other relief: a California small-business grant program with awards up to $25,000 (initial application window noted as closing Jan. 8 in his presentation), an expansion of the Paycheck Protection Program that includes an added $284 billion and higher multipliers for accommodation and food services, and an extension of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan application deadline through the end of 2021. He described local fee and tax waivers approved on first reading by the Board of Supervisors; once signed, the tax collector’s office will create a refund form for businesses that have already paid affected fees.
Commissioners focused their questions on eligibility and implementation. Commissioner Laura (chat question) and others asked how many San Francisco permit holders would qualify and whether the city could ask the SBA to accept local permitting as proof of venue status. Van Houten said answers depend on forthcoming SBA guidance and urged venues to prepare applications early, recommending engagement with local technical-assistance providers and the Small Business Development Center. "We want people to be as clear as possible before the clock starts running on applications," Van Houten said.
Several commissioners raised concerns about transparency and third-party administrators handling applications. One commissioner urged a clearinghouse that understands live-entertainment distinctions to prevent misallocation; Van Houten said OEWD and Executive Director Weiland will continue outreach to clarify requirements and to coordinate with advocacy groups and technical-assistance providers so permit holders are informed when applications open.
Van Houten said he would update the posted PowerPoint with corrected state program deadlines after commissioners noted a recent extension, and he encouraged commissioners to use the commission as an amplification channel for outreach. He also said Grant recipient lists — like PPP lists — would likely be made public in time, though he did not promise real-time tracking.
The presentation closed with staff offering continued coordination, and commissioners had no public comment on the item.
What happens next: OEWD staff said they will update public materials, follow up with commissioners on outreach strategies, and continue to monitor SBA guidance and application timelines.
