BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — Breckenridge town leaders call it a stopgap. While people wait for state and federal money to come in to help them amid shutdowns related to COVID-19, local leaders have come up with a way to help them now.
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“We know there are loans coming through state assistance federal assistance,” said Haley Littleton, the Breckenridge communication coordinator. “But as we know that will take time, we have businesses saying they need help now.”
Many of those businesses would normally be very busy right now due to ski season, but all the ski areas in Colorado were shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic. And after that many were forced to close or limit services under state public health orders.
The town council approved $1 million for the Small Business Relief Program to provide some immediate rent support for small businesses. It is intended to be a bridge grant to allow business tenants to get through the next 30 days while other relief options are pursued.
“Council really wanted to find a way to bridge that gap," said Littleton. “Get money into the hands of business as soon as possible.”
The focus will be on small businesses that employ 16 or fewer people and are open year-round.
At the same time, the town of Breckenridge is getting help to people who work in Breckenridge with $500,000 going to the Family Intercultural Resource Center in Summit County. It will allocate that money to people who aren’t working as a result of COVID-19 and need help with their rent.
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