4/1/20 COVID-19 Community Update from OEWD

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Dear Community Member,

Mayor London Breed and public health officials extended San Francisco’s shelter in place to May 3 ^rd . The new public health order includes updated guidelines on types of essential and non-essential businesses allowed to stay open, requiring essential businesses with non-essential components to scale down their operations, requiring essential businesses to post formal social distancing protocols at all their establishments before April 3 ^rd , and prohibiting most construction projects, with certain exceptions. We want to emphasize the importance of staying at home unless you need to run errands for essential needs. Mayor Breed and public health officials has also issued guidelines for essential businesses to protect the health and safety of their employees and customers as they open and operate. We recognize the challenges this poses for residents and the impact this has to our businesses, nonprofits, and their employees, and we are here to help.

The Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) remains committed to supporting our business, nonprofit, and workforce communities. San Francisco and public and private partners have implemented a number of policy measures and programs available to assist businesses . You'll continue to find information on the resources we've created and the services necessary for stability and recovery in this weekly newsletter:

FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Revolving Loan Fund (OEWD/Main Street Launch) - Microloans up to $50,000.
Emerging Loan Fund (OEWD/Main Street Launch) - Loans between $50,000 to $250,000.
Economic Injury Disaster Low Interest Loans (Small Business Administration) - Loans for small businesses to help overcome temporary loss of revenue.
Arts Relief Fund (SF Arts Commission) - $2.5 million available in grants and loans for artists and art organizations
COVID-19 Small Business Resiliency Fund (OEWD) - The fund is no longer taking applications. If additional funds become available, the program may begin accepting applications again. If you have submitted your application, please know it is being reviewed and our staff will contact you shortly.

DEFERMENT OF FEES AND TAXES

Deferral of Business Tax and Annual License/Permit Fees (Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector)
Payroll Report and Payroll Tax Extension (Employment Development Department - EDD)
Tax Filing and Payment Deferment (Internal Revenue Service - IRS)
SF Heath Care Security Ordinance/Fair Chance Ordinance (Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement) - Cancellation of 2019 reporting requirements.

REAL ESTATE ASSISTANCE

Moratorium on Commercial Evictions - Available to small/medium businesses with a license to operate in San Francisco that have less than $25 million in annual gross receipts.
Leasing and Legal Assistance (OEWD/Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights)

EMPLOYEE RESOURCES

Paid Sick Leave- Workers and Families First Program (OEWD) - Funding to provide an additional five days of paid sick leave to workers beyond their existing policies. Employers apply here.
Rapid Response Services (OEWD) - Orientation for impacted employees to provide information about health care , disability insurance , unemployment insurance , etc.
Partial Claims (Employment Development Department - EDD) - For employers that want to keep employees when there is a lack of work.
Work Share Program (Employment Development Department - EDD) Unemployment insurance for employers to help minimize the need for layoffs when there is lack of work.
Job Opportunities — A number of companies are hiring for full and part-time work.

UTILITIES SUPPORT

Suspension of Water Shut-offs/Waiving Late Fees (SFPUC)
Suspension of Gas and Electric Shut-offs/Flexible Payment Plans (PG&E)
Suspend your commercial waste and recycling service (Recology)

CHILDCARE AND FAMILY SUPPORT

Childcare for Children of Parents on the Front Lines and Low-Income Working Families (Dept. of Children, Youth and their Families)
Free Meals for Children (SF Unified School District)
Student and Family Learning Resources (SF Unified School District)

OTHER

San Francisco's COVID-19 webpage
California's COVID-19 webpage
Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Resource Toolkit
Guidance on Continuity of Payment to City Nonprofit Partners (Controller’s Office)
Webinars on Adapting and Responding to Coronavirus (California's Employers Association)

OEWD connects employers with useful information and assistance to best support your employees with programs meant to address their needs. Our office continues to operate with staff dedicated to providing information and resources through email and over the telephone to help reduce the financial pressures faced by our business and nonprofit communities.

for BUSINESSES & NONPROFITS

Office of Small Business

Assistance Center

415-554-6134

[email protected]

for EMPLOYEES

Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Workforce Development Division

Worker Information Line

415-701-4817

[email protected]

OEWD also continues to advocate for and develop assistance programs for small businesses, nonprofits, and their employees with our local, state, and federal partners to provide relief and look beyond to economic recovery. To provide real time updates, OEWD has created a webpage dedicated to serve as a one-stop shop all resources and information for San Francisco employers and employees; please visit at Resources for Businesses and Workers Impacted by COVID-19 .

We also want everyone reading our newsletter to know that Mayor Breed and the City Administrator have set up San Francisco’s Give2SF Fund which allows the City to accept tax-deductible monetary contributions to be spent on City efforts to address impacts from COVID-19, including providing assistance to small businesses impacted by the outbreak as well as shelter, food, and other types of assistance to help individuals across the City.

In addition to these programs, you can also access free webinars by visiting here .

We understand the COVID-19 landscape is changing rapidly. We'll continue providing daily updates on our website. You may also call 311 and/or sign up for the City’s alert service for official updates by texting COVID19SF to 888-777 .

We’re here to support you through this unprecedented time. San Francisco is a resilient and strong community. So, continue to take care of each other, your families and your friends. Be kind to each other. And know that we will weather these challenges best together.

Sincerely,

Joaquín Torres l 郭華健

Director

Office of Economic and Workforce Development

San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development

oewd.org