CARES Act Programs Available to Santa Rosa County Residents

Small Business Economic Recovery Grant

Applications must be submitted by Friday, Oct. 16 at 5 p.m.

Santa Rosa County has allocated a total of $2.6 million of CARES Act funding to provide grants of up to $20,000 to eligible small businesses. In partnership with the Florida Small Business Development Center, applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. The application period is currently open and closes on Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. Applications received after the application period will not be reviewed.

Grant amount tiers:

$10,000 for small businesses with 0-25 employees
$20,000 for small businesses with 26-100 employees

To apply, eligible businesses must submit the completed grant application form and all required documents in PDF to santarosacaresgrant@gmail.com with the headline "Small Business Grant." Visit santarosa.fl.gov for eligibility requirements and a list of required documents.

There will also be an open house Q&A session with the Florida SBDC on Wed., Oct. 14 from 9 - 10 a.m. for any business owner with questions related to the Economic Recovery Grant.

Applicants will receive notice of approval or denial as soon as their applications have been processed. Only eligible and completed applications with required supporting documentation will be accepted. Grant funding will be disbursed from the Santa Rosa County Grants Department by check via mail to the business's listed address.

For more information, contact the SBDC at sbdc@uwf.edu or by phone at (850) 474-2528.

CRF Rental/Mortgage/Utility Assistance

Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) provide financial assistance to eligible Santa Rosa County homeowners/renters who are currently unemployed or underemployed as a result of COVID-19 and have fallen past due with mortgage, rent, and/or utility payments and/or are in jeopardy of future payment delinquency due to lost or diminished income.

Assistance will be provided in the form of a grant to be paid directly to the service provider. The amount of assistance provided will be determined by each household’s current need in order to maintain their housing unit through the end of the funding period. For eligibility requirements, visit santarosa.fl.gov.

To apply, eligible residents should submit the application and all required documentation to WebEmail-Housing@santarosa.fl.gov with the subject, "COVID Related Housing Assistance" or send through postal mail to Housing Department, 6150 Old Bagdad Hwy., Ste. 201, Milton, FL 32583. For questions, call (850) 981-7076.

United Way 211

Residents struggling due to COVID-19 are encouraged to call 211 - A free, confidential service available to Santa Rosa County residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

211 will connect residents to available resources for food, rent/mortgage assistance housing deposits, utilities, employment, COVID-19 testing and more.

For more information about 211, visit unitedway.org.

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