Starting today, small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the storm can apply for emergency response grants.
ABC 10 News Anchor Aaron Dickens visited at Pet Store in Point Loma, to find out if they qualify.
The owner of Pet Kingdom says luckily no fish died in the flood, but there is still a lot of cleanup. The owner says he is going to have to spend tens of thousands of dollars.
"The biggest issue now with any flood damage is the aftermath of mold and bacteria," said Matthew Thomas, owner of Pet Kingdom.
Bacteria left behind from the water that filled his store and the shopping center three weeks ago.
As Thomas inspects his walls and floors, he says any money from the city would help.
"That would help pay back for all the vacs, chemicals and everything I had to buy out of pocket," he added.
But according to the city’s guidelines on who get’s the grant, Thomas would not quality.
The application says your business has to have 12 or fewer employees. Thomas has 16. Many businesses in the shopping center are in the same boat.
"It should not matter how many employees you have, if you own a business that was effected by the storm. There should be some kind of resource," Thomas said.
The city says up to $2,500 will be given to each applicant or a total of $5,000 if you are in a Promise Zone or Opportunity Zone.
You can fill out the application online or pick one up in person.
Just go to the lobby, on the 14th floor at Civic Center Plaza.
Here is the link with the information.
https://www.10news.com/news/news-links/emergency-response-grant-for-small-businesses-and-nonprofits
City officials tell us the grant was allocated by the mayor and city council. It was intended for businesses with 12 employees or less. These smaller businesses tend to have less resources or cash on hand. That’s why the city will be able to allocate the funds quickly.
