City of Long Beach Business Brief 4.16.21
Welcome to the Economic Development Department's Business Brief! We are continuing to ensure you are updated on the latest business resources and news.
The Long Beach Emergency Rental Assistance Program (LB-ERAP) is designed to assist residential landlords and income-eligible tenants (renters) who have experienced financial loss or hardship due to COVID-19 through rental assistance.

LB-ERAP is part of the Long Beach Recovery Act. The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 provides the funding to support the program, which is designed to implement the tenant protection laws enacted by the State of California (SB 91). The program is established to provide assistance exclusively to landlords and tenants in Long Beach and is separate from the State’s rental assistance program. Applicants should not apply to the State program if the unit for which they are seeking assistance is located in the City.
LB-ERAP will help income-eligible tenants pay rent and utilities, both for past due bills and future payments. The program will prioritize assisting lower-income tenants who have been unemployed for 90 days or more and who are at risk of housing instability.
City of Long Beach Small Business Loan Programs
Need capital to launch, stabilize, or grow your business? The City of Long Beach manages multiple loan programs that can help to get your business off the ground or help take your business to the next level.
The Emergency Microloan Program is designed to support Long Beach businesses and non-profits that have been financially burdened by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Loans between $2,500 to $10,000 are available for small businesses operating in Long Beach.

  • Interest rate: 2.44 percent
  • Fees: no fees
  • Repayment period ranges from 5 to 7 years
  • Borrowers may access a grace period of up to 9 months

Loan proceeds may go toward business expenses, such as personnel, rent, supplies/materials, utilities, professional services, and more. Funding is subject to availability and submittal of a loan application does not guarantee funding

To get started, potential borrowers must sign-up for an appointment with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at longbeachsbdc.org or by phone at (562) 938-5100. 
Long Beach entrepreneurs can access 0% interest rates, no-fee loans, and up to $15,000 through KIVA (www.kiva.org), a nonprofit organization focused on expanding financial opportunities to small businesses in the community succeed. The City of Long Beach has partnered with LISC-LA to ensure that the business owners, that may be unable to access traditional commercial loans from a bank, can find KIVA loans to be a successful tool to sustain or grow their business.

KIVA Requirements for to business owners:
  • Must be 18 years and older
  • Business must be based in the United States
  • Food, farming, social services, fashion, or retail-based businesses are ideal

The City of Long Beach is now accepting applicants to endorse through the KIVA process. To learn more, please contact Fatima.Avila@longbeach.gov or call (562) 570-6099.
To learn more about other City of Long Beach loan programs click here.
Resilience Relief Fund
Restaurants Care is a nonprofit centered around caring for the people at the heart of restaurants. This grant funding is intended to be used on payroll and related expenses such as increasing hours and bring on new hires.

Resilience Fund applications will be open from April11-18, 2021 and can be found at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience. Grants will be available to single-unit, California-based restaurants in the following counties: Alameda, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Joaquin with a staff of 50 or fewer employees. To qualify, the restaurant must currently be open and have experienced a revenue loss of at least 20% from 2019-2020. Priority will begiven to restaurants owned by women and people of color.
Upcoming Educational Series
It's not too late to participate in the Entrepreneurship & Small Business Education Series! This series is a partnership between the IIE and the Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA). The series is focused on providing the tools and skills needed to start and run a successful business for existing and potential downtown business owners, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small business owners. Certificates will be provided to those who complete the program. A pitch opportunity on June 1st will offer selected businesses seed funding. Award Guidelines (PDF)
Contact the City of Long Beach BizCare Hotline for Immediate Assistance:

Phone number: 562-570-4BIZ (4249)
Days: Monday - Friday
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

City staff will respond to voicemails made after business hours within 24 hours.