Commercial Rent Relief Program for Small Businesses Begins Accepting Applications
The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce is encouraging local businesses to apply for a new Commercial Rent Relief Program.
The Oregon Legislative Emergency Board has allocated $100 million to fund a new Commercial Rent Relief Program to provide financial assistance to small businesses and landlords adversely affected by economic conditions as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program opened for applications today on March 8, 2021.
The program targets landlords with tenant businesses with 100 or fewer employees who are behind on lease payments or any forgiven base rent amounts that have been negotiated due to COVID-19. The program will require both business tenant and property owner participation. The program includes additional protections for tenants, such as non-eviction clauses, and a waiver of penalties and interest.
Who Can Apply?
Landlords are the ones who initially apply, but will need to have the tenant provide business information to determine application eligibility, and both landlord and tenant will ultimately provide information and sign a grant agreement. The applicable small business tenant must:
Be a for-profit business.
Lease property in the state of Oregon.
Be headquartered in the state of Oregon.
Employ 100 or less employees per lease as of February 28, 2021.
Be actively registered to do business in the state of Oregon with the Secretary of State.
Be compliant with all federal, state, and local laws.
Not be a publicly traded company.
Be open for business or intends to reopen for business when restrictions are lifted (if applicable) at the leased location.
Landlords must not be past due on federal, state, or local taxes as of December 31, 2019. Landlords with multiple properties and/or tenants may make multiple applications, one for each tenant business.
How Much is the Grant?
The grant can be up to $100,000 per each business tenant, and not more that $3 million for each landlord. The grant amount covers only base rent that is in arrears due to COVID-19 impacts or restrictions.
When and How Do I Apply?
The program opened for applications today on March 8, 2021.
The application portal will be open for two weeks, and all eligible applications received will be put into a lottery selection system to determine which will move on for grant approval. This is not processed as a first-come-first-served program.
Business Oregon will notify applicants if they have been selected, and will review additional information for accuracy and compliance with the program. Upon completion of a successful compliance review, Business Oregon will mail a check to the landlord.
