Long Beach announces $207M plan for economic recovery

LONG BEACH, Calif. (CNS) -- The city of Long Beach this week unveiled a $207 million COVID-19 plan to help residents, business owners and workers who have been critically impacted by the pandemic.

"The Long Beach Recovery Act is a bold and ambitious plan to jumpstart the local economy, protect the health and safety of our community, and secure the future of our city,'' said Mayor Robert Garcia.

"The plan would not be possible without the support of the Biden administration and Congress.''

The proposed plan, which will be presented to the City Council on March 16, would put $51 million toward economic recovery, including:

Direct funding relief for local businesses and workers who have been critically impacted by the pandemic, particularly for restaurants, breweries, bars, the fitness and personal service industry, arts and cultural organizations and nonprofits

Funding to address historic economic inequalities that intensified during the COVID-19 recession, including an expansion of the WorkLB program and funding for CARES Act grants to increase digital literacy and access to technology in low-income communities

Funding for COVID-19 protection -- including testing, epidemiology support, contract tracing and more -- for businesses and nonprofits to protect workers, customers and visitors

Funding for Long Beach's Clean City program to keep commercial areas clear of trash and debris, as well as other programs to reduce illegal dumping and enhance customer retention to businesses that were impacted by COVID-19.

The plan would also give $72.8 million to programs that promote a healthy and safe community, with a goal of addressing the highest needs of community most impacted by the pandemic.

Those programs and services include free testing sites and mobile clinics in hard-hit communities; personal protective equipment for nonprofits and safety and prevention educational materials and many others.

The plan also calls for earmarking $83.2 million to address the city's budget shortfalls and revenue losses during the pandemic.

Much of the plan would be funded through various federal grant and assistance programs.

The full plan can be accessed here.