Small Business Relief Fund for Atlanta Water Crisis

A new proposal from the City Council and Invest Atlanta would help business owners recoup some losses.

ATLANTA — Nearly 7,000 small businesses in Atlanta are still feeling economic pain after multiple water main breaks forced many to close, crippling their profits for a week.

The city is still reeling from the massive economic impact, leading city officials to propose $5 million in relief grants to small business owners. The final amount of expenses is not yet final. The proposal to provide $5 million in relief passed in committee and awaits a vote by the full City Council on Monday, June 17.

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For Stir House Vegan in downtown Atlanta, the wok is still hot, but business is freezing after opening its doors a few weeks ago.

“We’re a small business. We’ve been open for five weeks! When you talk about the impact of what happened, for a business like mine, it can put us in a very bad financial situation,” said Brown.

Co-owner Phil Thompson claims the food they froze went bad and their walk-in freezer was damaged beyond repair, losing nearly $2,000 on food alone.

Once the water was running, they were back in business, but since they recently opened their doors, customers are still discovering the new restaurant.

“It’s essential; many small businesses, like ours, that are just starting out, are working day after day and week after week in terms of payroll, rent, utilities, so having a day where you lose sales is a big blow to your bottom line,” Thompson said.

Some businesses like Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks are unsure if they will be able to reopen soon due to the extensive damage they suffered.

Atlanta was in crisis mode after nearly 100-year-old water pipes finally gave way and burst in several key areas of the city last week. Business owners fear another breakup could happen again.

Devin Barrington-Ward, the director of the Black Futurist Group, wants to prepare for future water emergencies.

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“We know that our pipes and infrastructure in the city are aging; it’s not a question of if it will happen again, but when…so we want to be prepared for any other water emergency,” he said. Barrington-Ward said. said.

Barrington-Ward first proposed the $5 million relief fund to the City Council days after the water crisis.

“We’re really excited about the level of support, but with this level of support we realize we might need more money to add to the fund because the impact on small businesses has been much greater than we initially thought,” added the manager.

He believes it is essential that these businesses not only stay open, but thrive.

“A lot of downtown is a food desert, with no grocery stores, no healthy food options, and so that’s what we’re aiming to do,” Thompson said.

Affected businesses can begin applying for funds that would help recoup losses through Invest Atlanta on June 24.

Here’s how to apply

The City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta have launched a landing page for business owners to apply for relief.

Although applications will not go live until June 24, business owners should plan to attend the informational webinar on Monday, June 17 at 5 p.m. Click here to register for the webinar.

Invest Atlanta has released criteria for small business owners to be eligible for the relief.

Here are the eligibility requirements, according to their website:

Businesses must have a verifiable address within the Boil Water Impact Notice area.
The website also says priority will be given to restaurants, beauty salons, daycares and other “most directly affected industries.”
Authorities will also prioritize those that have been impacted and/or closed for several days.
The business must also be registered with the Georgia Secretary of State and have an active business license from the City of Atlanta.

See a map of affected areas below.

(This story continues below the photo.)