Gov. Stitt unveils grant programs totaling $110 million to help Oklahomans affected by COVID-19

Gov. Kevin Stitt has announced two new grant programs worth $110 million to support Oklahomans impacted by the presence of COVID-19.

Leveraging CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds, the state is dedicating $10 million toward an Eviction Mitigation grant program in partnership with local nonprofits and is dedicating $100 million to the Oklahoma Business Relief Program in partnership with local financial institutions.

“As Oklahoma begins to reopen businesses, it is critical we help our neighbors who are at risk of losing their homes due to the sudden disruption in our economy,” Stitt said Friday in a statement. “In a recent review of the pending eviction cases in Tulsa County that are not covered by the CARES Act, 75% of these cases did not have a previous eviction filed. The pandemic has resulted in a number of Oklahomans facing housing instability and food insecurity, and thanks to collaborative ideas from the state Legislature and funding support from our Congressional delegation, we can be confident that Oklahoma will rise stronger as we begin our recovery process.”

Stitt made the announcement during a news conference at Restore Home Ministries, 1960 Charles Page Blvd., in Tulsa.

The Eviction Mitigation program will provide reimbursements to organizations paying landlords for rental assistance to individuals or families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individuals and families will be capped at $3,600 in eviction mitigation. Administered through local nonprofits, the state is partnering in Tulsa County with Restore Hope, Schusterman Family Foundation, Legal Aid and Community Action; and in Oklahoma County with Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, Inasmuch Foundation, Legal Aid, Community Action Partnership and Upward Transitions.

The governor also announced today the creation of the Oklahoma Business Relief Program to support local businesses impacted by COVID-19. OBRP offers vital funding for businesses that have suffered revenue loss due to the pandemic.

In the coming weeks, participating financial institutions will process business applications and submit approved applications to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis and grant funds will be provided to a business through the financial institution. During the first phase of applications, at least 20% of the program funds will be designated for minority-owned businesses.

“As businesses begin to ramp up their operations again, we know that they still face many barriers,” Stitt said. “Through this program, we can give Oklahoma companies access to much needed funds to bridge the gap while they work to get back up to speed, both in terms of operations and revenues.”

Businesses can request an application from a participating financial institution and will apply through that institution.

The financial institution will evaluate the application to initially determine the business’s eligibility based on the program rules. If approved, the financial institution will submit the application to Commerce on behalf of the business for a final eligibility determination. The grant funds will be given to the business by the participating financial institution.

To qualify, the business must have suffered a revenue loss of 25% or more from January to May 2020 compared to the same months in 2019. The revenue loss must be substantially caused by the impact of COVID-19.

The program is open to all industries that qualified for the U.S. Treasury Payroll Protection Program with an addition of 501©(6) organizations that do not lobby. Other business eligibility restrictions apply and can be found at okcommerce.gov/relief.

“We designed this program to be similar to the federal PPP program, which proved to be beneficial to many Oklahoma companies,” Sean Kouplen, Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce & Workforce Development, said in a statement.

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