 is funding a new grant program that is helping local business owners who continue to be important to the city's economic stability and neighborhood renewal.){kind=link}
Flint, Michigan – The City of Flint is making targeted efforts to help small businesses get back on their feet and expand. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is funding a new grant program that is helping local business owners who continue to be important to the city’s economic stability and neighborhood renewal.
Earlier this year, the Flint City Council agreed to give ARPA money to this project. This means that the city can work with LISC-Flint to give direct financial help. Because of this, 20 small companies have each received subsidies of $20,000. The awardees come from a wide range of fields and are located along Flint’s main business roads, which means that many parts of the city will benefit. The program includes all wards except for Wards 7 and 8, which are mostly residential.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley described the initiative as a deliberate step toward equitable recovery. “This investment reflects our belief in the power of local businesses to drive Flint’s recovery and long-term success,” he said. The mayor emphasized that the city’s economic strength depends on entrepreneurs who have remained committed to serving their neighborhoods despite significant challenges in recent years.
There was a lot of thought put into how the winners were chosen. Businesses had to meet explicit requirements: they had to have a physical site in Flint, have been in business before 2020, be registered with the state, and send in a thorough application. LISC-Flint and the Social Impact Philanthropy Initiative (SIPI) worked together to look over and grade submissions. Once approved, LISC sent the money straight to the people who needed it, which made sure that it was used properly and that everyone was accountable.
At this point, city officials have decided not to focus on specific grantees and instead talk about the program’s overall benefits. The goal of the effort is to produce ripple effects by distributing support across many sectors and places. This will boost business corridors, encourage job development, and bring neighborhoods back to life.
A press gathering on August 20 at Beauchamp’s Ace Hardware, one of the chosen businesses, made the program’s importance clear. City leaders and LISC-Flint leaders got together to celebrate the news and reaffirm their shared goal of assisting small companies succeed.
Flint has a bigger plan to boost its economy, and this grant program is just one element of that. The city wants to help entrepreneurs so that long-term growth can start to happen. They also want to make sure that recovery efforts reach businesses and residents in all neighborhoods.