June 8, 2022
For Immediate Release
Village Offers ARPA Funds to Skokie Residents and Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
The Village of Skokie will use $1.15 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to assist the community in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds will be used to provide jobs training and emergency financial assistance to Skokie residents, give grants to local social service agencies and support minority-owned or low-income emerging and startup businesses.
Here are specifics on assistance to residents, social service agencies and businesses:
Assistance to Skokie Residents:
- Emergency Financial Assistance: The Village’s Health and Human Services Department (HHS) is currently accepting applications for this program from qualifying individuals and/or families. Funds are limited and will be used to assist individuals and families pay for rent, mortgage and/or unpaid utilities. Individuals and/or families should call the HHS Department at 847/933-8208 for more information.
- Workforce Training Scholarships: HHS, in partnership with Oakton Community College, is offering qualifying Skokie residents seeking to improve their resume and re-enter the workforce with scholarships for free tuition for one of Oakton Community College’s short-term certificate programs. Funds are limited and to qualify, residents must be unemployed or underemployed with household monthly gross income within 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. A wide variety of certificate courses for 18 credit hours or less are available for Microsoft Office programs, Computer Information Systems, health careers and much more. Interested individuals should contact Iris Barrios at 847/933-8208 or email info@skokie.org.
Assistance to Social Service Agencies:
- The Village’s Community Development Department is offering financial assistance to local service agencies that support Skokie residents in need. Qualified applicants may include Community Development Block Grant recipients, other not-for-profit organizations and childcare centers. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 will be available to local service agencies for COVID-19-related expenses, including disease mitigation and prevention, mental health care, public health and staff safety, housing services, evidence-based community violence intervention programs and assistance to households. Local service agencies who successfully complete the Step 1 application will be invited to complete the Step 2 application. Funds are limited. Click here for the Step 1 application.
Assistance to Small Businesses:
- The Village’s Economic Development Division is offering financial assistance to low-income and/or minority-owned start-up and emerging business ventures within the Village of Skokie that were legally established after January 27, 2019 and can demonstrate that the business has been negatively affected by closures, revenue loss or disproportionate economic hardships in their growth or establishment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 for technical assistance, financial/legal/accounting services related to business plan implementation and certain other operating costs will be available for ‘at risk’ and disproportionately impacted businesses who successfully complete Step 1 and Step 2 online applications. Funds are limited. Click here for the Step 1 application.
“The Village is pleased to offer these funds to improve the quality of life for residents severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to provide growth for low-income and minority businesses that will, in turn, contribute to Skokie’s economy,” said Mayor George Van Dusen. “I am proud of how our community came together to support each other during the past two difficult years and offering these funds to further assist Skokie residents and businesses is an important continuation of that support.”