rmuniz

Today the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors authorized the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) to receive and administer the County’s initial allocation of $13.6 million in Community Development Block Grant Program Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds, as well as future allocations, in response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Nationally, $5 billion in CDBG-CV funds will be distributed to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, resulting from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed by Congress and signed by the President on March 27, 2020. In Los Angeles County, LACDA staff are currently working with partner agencies to develop CDBG-CV activities, which will assist residents with limited means who have been impacted by COVID-19, including temporary rental assistance, grab-and-go/delivery meal programs, business assistance to retain employees that are low- and moderate-income, and support of other COVID-19 response services.

The Board approved this funding during National Community Development Week, which is the County’s opportunity to commemorate the longstanding accomplishments of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Programs.  This year marks the 34th year of this national effort to actively promote awareness, education, and advocacy for these crucial programs.

Emilio Salas, LACDA Acting Executive Director, said, “As we commemorate National Community Development Week, we are reminded how the CDBG Program has demonstrated time and again its value to Los Angeles County. This additional infusion of funding will have a great impact to the work the County and our partners are doing to respond to COVID-19.”

The LACDA administers the largest Urban County CDBG Program in the nation, serving over a million residents in the County’s unincorporated areas and an additional 1.4 million living in 48 participating cities.

The Program’s success is in its flexibility, allowing local governments to directly address community needs, targeting about 96% of allocated funds to benefit persons with limited means, through activities which include: housing rehabilitation; public services for groups such as seniors, youth, and persons experiencing homelessness; economic development activities; and making public facilities, housing, and sidewalks accessible for persons with disabilities.

Now more than ever, the County is taking this opportunity to commemorate National Community Development Week to not only acknowledge the continued successes of the CDBG and HOME Programs and bring awareness to their impact on Los Angeles County residents, but also to highlight how important the CDBG Program is to the County in responding and recovering from crises. In the past, CDBG funds have helped County residents recover from other disasters or emergencies, such as the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the 2008 Great Recession.

While the accomplishments from the CDBG Program are far-reaching and severely needed, past national budget cuts have overshadowed their merits. Through aggressive advocacy efforts this year, the CDBG Program, nationally, is to receive $3.4 billion for Fiscal Year 2020, which is $100 million more than last year. And, the HOME Program will receive $1.35 billion in FY 2020, which is also a $100 million increase.

Lastly, as funding for these federal programs rely on Census data, the County and the LACDA encourage all County residents to complete the 2020 Census and be counted.  In addition to mailing it in, residents can complete it online this year at my2020census.gov. It is imperative that the County has an accurate count to maximize the receipt of federal resources.

For more information about the LACDA’s programs and the impact from COVID-19, please visit lacda.org.  All media may contact Elisa Vásquez, LACDA Public Information Officer, at (626) 586-1762.

Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion authored by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas to create the Los Angeles County COVID-19 Small Business Assistance Program which calls for the creation of the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a public-private partnership that will provide critical funding for hundreds of small businesses and nonprofits in L.A. County being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The motion aims to counteract COVID-19 related financial hardships small businesses and nonprofits are currently facing across all industries.

“Our small businesses and nonprofits are economically and culturally interwoven in the fabric that makes up Los Angeles County,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “I am proud of Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo Foundation, Citi, and our other private sector partners for joining with the County of Los Angeles to bring needed resources to our businesses, who are suffering great losses as we cope with this unprecedented pandemic.”

The County will seed the Relief Fund with an initial $12 million dollars investment. Private sector partners have also joined in to leverage this initial investment. Initial private sector commitments include $15 million in capital from by Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., $1 million from Wells Fargo Foundation, $100,000 from Citi Community Development, and $25,000 from Union Bank Foundation.

The County’s partnership with Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., will open a new channel for up to $15 million of additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans targeting microenterprises and nonprofits through Goldman Sachs’ national community development financial institution partner, Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF). CRF plans to work through local partners to reach target businesses and nonprofits who might otherwise not have access to the PPP program via a traditional banking relationship.

“Ensuring all businesses have access to these resources is of paramount importance,” said Supervisor Ridley-Thomas, emphasizing the importance of equity and inclusivity as resources are made available to local businesses. “We know from history and intuitively that the best-resourced businesses are often first in line for available relief.”

“This is an inspiring example of how public-private partnerships can deliver much-needed capital rapidly and at scale,” said Keith Rachey, chief impact officer for CRF. “With the dedication of community partners on the ground, and the generous support of private sector partners, CRF is proud to help make a difference for small businesses and nonprofits in Los Angeles County.”

“Wells Fargo supports this important effort to provide much needed grants and technical assistance directly to some of LA’s small businesses most in need of help during this critical time. We thank the County of Los Angeles for its leadership and collaboration to help our small business community which is so vital to our local economy,” said Gregg Sherkin, Senior Vice President and Senior Manager of Wells Fargo’s Corporate Philanthropy and Community Relations.

Additional support from Citi will provide $100,000 to the LA Area Chamber of Commerce to provide additional technical assistance and outreach for businesses. MUFG Union Bank Foundation’s $25,000 philanthropic contribution will serve as an operating grant to support local community development financial institution partners’ work to deploy Relief Fund capital.

“During this uncertain time, we need to come together to ensure that vital small business supports are as accessible and inclusive as possible,” said James Alva, Senior VP and Market Manager for Citi Community Development. “This cross-sector initiative will enable more micro-business owners to unlock the critical funding championed by the LA County Supervisors.”

The Relief Fund compliments recent County programs to support small businesses, including $500,000 in small business grants available through the Workforce Development, Aging, and Community Services Department, and a $3 million small business loan program through the Los Angeles County Development Authority. The County has also begun to provide technical assistance to help small businesses access state and federal funds that are being made available to abate the impact of the crisis, through Department of Consumer and Business (DCBA) Help Center.

“The Relief Fund represents a commitment by the County of Los Angeles to support our entire region,” added Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “It is an important start, but it is just that: a start. I call on our private sector partners to join us in our continued efforts to raise additional capital for our region’s business owners and entrepreneurs.

The motion directs the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) to launch the fund by April 21, 2020. For more information about how to access available funds and updates on the Relief Fund, visit the County’s Disaster Help Center at lacountyhelpcenter.org, or call 833-238-4450.

Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proposal by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis to create an Emergency Rent Assistance Program during the COVID-19 crisis. When it is created, the program could provide up to $1000 per month for three months to renters who have lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“As we fight the spread of this virus and do everything we can to save lives, this crisis has devastated families who were already living on the brink of poverty,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “The eviction moratorium we have in place has provided some relief, but many families are going to struggle to pay back the rent they owe after this crisis is over. Rent assistance will help keep people in their homes and lessen some of the long-term economic damage this pandemic will have on families.”

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has implemented a rent freeze and eviction moratorium to prevent families from losing their homes during this epidemic. However, renters will still need to pay back rent owed in the months after the crisis. Rent assistance would not need to be paid back and could prevent families from falling into even worse economic hardship.

The number of families that will be helped by the program will depend on the level of funding. Funding for the program would come from the second round of funding Los Angeles County expects to receive from the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Additional funding could come from philanthropy and private sources.

“Housing stability is crucial for residents both during and after the COVID-19 crisis. We know the County’s eviction moratorium helps protect renters against homelessness now, but it won’t help them once past-due rent needs to be paid back,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, co-author of this motion. “This Emergency Rental Assistance Program can provide sorely needed support to cost burdened households while they are earning little or no income as a result of the pandemic.”

The Los Angeles County Development Authority will report back to the Board of Supervisors with an implementation plan for the Emergency Rent Assistance Program in 30 days. Read the full motion here.

In response to small businesses affected by COVID-19, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has created the Small Business Recovery Loan Program, administered by the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA).

The Small Business Recovery Loan Program provides easy to access, timely, and sufficient financial relief to small businesses that are most impacted by an acute downturn in revenue caused by an unforeseen emergency outside their immediate control. This program will ensure businesses can keep their employees and businesses afloat during this time of economic hardship and prevent a chain reaction of reduced spending, inability to pay bills, job losses, or even closure.

The loans will be made available through the County’s existing Economic Development Administration (EDA) Loan fund as the primary source of funding.  Any for-profit business with 25 or fewer employees located within the unincorporated Los Angeles County or city participating in the County’s Community Development Block Grant Program is eligible.  Loan proceeds may be used for working capital, including payroll or rent. The maximum loan amount is $20,000 with a term of five (5) years, and the minimum interest rate is authorized by the EDA (4%) or Wall Street Journal Prime (75%), whichever is lower. Principal and interest will be deferred up to 12 months. Loans may be prepaid, in part or in whole, at any time without penalty. There is no loan origination fee and no collateral is needed to secure the loan.

Emilio Salas, Acting Executive Director of the LACDA, said, “The current COVID-19 pandemic is impacting small business economies. However, the County has been taking swift action to support business owners and their employees during this time – and this new loan program will be a helpful addition to the resources available.”

To obtain an application, visit bizrecoveryloans.lacda.org. Additional resources for small businesses can be found at: https://dcba.lacounty.gov. For more information on the Small Business Recovery Loan Program, please contact Carolina Romo, Supervisor at LACDA, at (626) 296-6298 or by email at BizRecovery@lacda.org. All media may contact Elisa Vásquez, LACDA Public Information Officer, at (626) 586-1762.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) released today its COVID-19 Hospital Demand Modeling Projections showing that physical distancing is slowing the rate of COVID-19 transmission in the county. The projections indicate that if current levels of physical distancing are not maintained, there will be an exponential rapid increase in the rate of infection, severely hampering the ability of the hospital system to meet that demand.

The insights from this modeling effort in large part informed the County of Los Angeles Dept. of Public Health’s decision to extend the ‘Safer at Home’ order until May 15, 2020.

“Physical distancing has ‘flattened the curve’ by slowing the rate of transmission of the virus. Because of this, our healthcare system is able to meet the demand for treatment for COVID-19 patients, providing quality lifesaving services to all those who need them,” DHS Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said. “However, we need to remember that while, yes, transmission is slowing, we are still on a growth curve, and thus need to maintain the public health interventions in place. Physical distancing is the single biggest action we can take to continue to fight this virus. If we went back to life as normal today, by late summer the vast majority of Los Angeles County residents would likely have experienced infection with the virus, putting excessive strain on the healthcare system.”

The modeling team was tasked with taking available data and making the best possible predictions regarding the spread of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County and associated demand for hospital-based care including hospital beds, intensive care unit (ICU) beds, and ventilators. The team assessed the effectiveness of current physical distancing efforts in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and “flattening the curve.”

The predictive analysis which models the impending surge provides a depiction of the best- and worst-case scenarios for Los Angeles should physical distancing efforts continue and to what degree. The model projects that if we reverted to pre-order physical distancing behavior now, by August 1, 95.6% of Los Angeles County residents will likely have been infected over the course of the pandemic. Under this worst-case scenario, Los Angeles County would face an infection rate at such magnitude that the healthcare system would not be able to treat patients who need hospitalization, underscoring the need to continue to maintain current levels of physical distancing.

To learn more about LA County Department of Health Services, visit dhs.lacounty.gov.

The modeling presentation produced by LA County Department of Health Services can be found here.

About the Modeling Team

The modeling was completed under the guidance of DHS Director Dr. Christina Ghaly, in partnership with a multidisciplinary team of clinical, epidemiological, and statistical experts led by Roger J. Lewis, MD, PhD, the Chair of Emergency Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance and an accomplished statistician.

The statistical modeling work was performed under the leadership of Dr. Roger Lewis by statisticians from Berry Consultants, LLC, Austin, Texas. Joseph Marion, PhD, Kert Viele, PhD, and Todd Graves, PhD supported the effort by performing all modeling of epidemic and healthcare resource data for Los Angeles County related to the COVID-19 epidemic.

In addition to Dr. Lewis, the modeling team also included Juliana Tolles, MD, MHS (Emergency Physician, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center), M. Claire Jarashow, PhD, MPH (Acting Director, Vaccine Preventable Disease Control and Chief, Epidemiology and Data, Acute Communicable Disease Control, Los Angeles County DPH), Fei Wu, PhD (Office of the Chief Information Officer, Los Angeles County CEO Office), and Frederic Schoenberg, PhD (Professor of Statistics, UCLA). Important insights and guidance were received from others, including personnel at the California Department of Public Health, as well as other modeling teams addressing the COVID-19 epidemic across the country.

Berry Consultants, LLC is a statistical consulting company specializing in the Bayesian approach to medical statistics; this approach changes the way research is done in healthcare. With top tier experts, Berry Consultants leverages innovative clinical trial design and analysis methods, setting a new standard for efficient trials that often operate faster than typical trials, thus potentially bringing life changing treatments, cures and other beneficial interventions to patients sooner than typical approaches.

As we approach Passover and Easter, Los Angeles County continues to remind all residents that the Health Officer’s  Safer at Home order remains in full effect.

This week is Holy Week, and with Passover beginning tonight, it is a time when many want to be with their family and faith communities. Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health, applauded the faith-based organizations that are finding ways to reach out to people online through virtual services and the people who are finding ways to practice their faith together -- from afar.

Dr. Ferrer emphasized that people and faith-based organizations must honor LA County’s Safer at Home order and find ways to be together emotionally, but apart physically. She asked that any planned gatherings in person, as well as in cars, be canceled and sent a reminder that the order prohibits such physical gatherings.

The Safer at Home order directs all members of the public to help slow the spread of COVID-19 by practicing physical distancing and taking common sense infection control precautions. County residents are required to stay at home or in their place of residence, except when they need to work at an essential business or healthcare operation, provide essential infrastructure, shop at an essential business, or engage in an essential activity.

Though the need to connect with friends and family is strong, group meals and social gatherings make physical distancing difficult, and therefore, put everyone at risk. This is not the time for relatives and friends to come over and be in close proximity to each other.  This is a time to physically distance yourself from others.

While family members and contacts living together within a household can go for a walk in the neighborhood, contact with individuals from outside of the household should occur only virtually. Use social media and digital tools to connect, because face-to-face interactions with individuals from other households are prohibited under the Safer at Home order.

Everyone must:

• Stay home (stay unexposed and do not expose others)
• Only go out for essential services or if they are an essential worker
• Stay six feet or more away from others
• Not gather in groups of any size

Los Angeles County is relying on its residents to respect and follow these health orders. Residents’ cooperation with the health orders is critical as we work to flatten the curve and move beyond the pandemic. We’re in this together.

More information about the order can be found here.