Over $27 million in relief approved for regional venues
41 venues in the CA-24 District will receive a total of over $27.3 million in “Shuttered Venue Operators Grants.”
Covid-19 relief dollars approved for local venues to save and create jobs
– Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced 41 venues in CA-24 will receive a total of over $27.3 million in Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG). Congressman Carbajal voted to establish the program, which provides support to hard-hit businesses in the music and entertainment sector that were forced to shut their doors due to pandemic restrictions.
The SVOG program was initially plagued by technical challenges, which have since greatly improved. On the day the application portal opened, Congressman Carbajal held a press conference at the Santa Barbara Bowl to hear about how the program would benefit local venues and raise awareness of the new program. That same day, the program portal crashed and reopened almost 3 weeks later.
Carbajal joined over 200 bipartisan Members of Congress in calling for the Small Business Administration to expedite the release of funds. This effort was successful, and the SBA has now approved 9,844 grants, including 1,393 in California and 41 on the Central Coast.
“The American Rescue Plan created the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program to provide critical funding to our struggling businesses and they deserve to be able to access those funds,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I am glad the Small Administration heeded our call to improve and expedite the approval process, so this critical aid for our businesses will arrive sooner. These local businesses not only create good jobs and contribute to our local economy but also contribute to the spirit and local culture of our community.”
The following north county businesses received grants:
- $1,014,647.40 Central Coast Cinemas, Inc dba Park Cinemas – SVOG Paso Robles 93446
- $77,477.00 Estrella Warbirds Museum Inc – SVOG Paso Robles 93446
- $3,412,000.00 Food & Agriculture, California Dept dba Paso Robles Event Center – SVOG Paso Robles 93446
- $530,542.80 Cinema Square LLC – SVOG Atascadero 93422
See full SVOG awards data here.
Rep. Salud Carbajal represents California’s 24th congressional district, encompassing Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and part of Ventura County.
Comments
