March 30, 2020
CT: Remote Town Hall Meeting and Aid Available to Small Businesses

As CATIC continues to provide you with important information on real estate related matters, we also felt it was important to provide you with current information on where you can get assistance as a small business. On Friday, March 27, a town hall meeting was held by teleconference, with the goal of reviewing the various steps that the state and the federal government are taking to address the coronavirus situation. The focus of this meeting was the efforts being made to assist employees and employers. ( Note: another such meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 31. See below for further information on that upcoming meeting.)

Participants in the meeting included Governor Ned Lamont, Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Representative Joe Courtney, and representatives from the state’s Department of Labor and the Department of Economic and Community Development. Public participation was through a dial-in number.

The speakers at the meeting noted that all state information is available at www.CT.gov/coronavirus . Information concerning the Small Business Administration’s Express Bridge Loan Program is available on the SBA website, with more general SBA information available at https:/www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance .

Small businesses may be particularly interested in the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program. Although this program is not new, this is the first time that a pandemic event has been defined as a disaster. The program offers low interest loans with a 30-year term, with the first payment deferred for one year. Click here to read a Forbes article about the loan program and provisions of the CARES Act.

Lieutenant Governor Bysiewicz noted that some towns are considering the implementation of local level programs to assist small businesses, and she encouraged the listeners to contact their first selectman or mayor for further information about local efforts.

There is another similar town hall meeting that is planned for Tuesday, March 31, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Participants will include Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz, Congressman Himes, DOL Commissioner Westby, representatives from the SBA and the DECD, and Fran Pastore of the Women’s Business Development Council. The focus of that meeting will be women-owned businesses and the state and federal resources that are available to them during the COVID-19 crisis. Those who wish to join in and listen to Tuesday’s town hall meeting may use the following methods:
 
Join the Town Hall at:
 
Or dial in at: (646)558-8656
Conference ID: 330 226 262
 
The meeting will also be live streamed on Facebook:


The Small Business Administration’s Payroll Protection Program offers loans to small businesses to help cover expenses. Click here to learn more.
CATIC is open for business and ready to help.
Please let us know how we can assist you.
Please continue to check out our dedicated webpage for COVID-19 information and guidance, on a regular basis. We will be updating the material as we learn of new developments.