State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

The Restaurant Resiliency Program provided New York’s regional food banks with the funding to source meals from qualified restaurants. These meals were delivered to emergency feeding programs associated with the food banks’ network of providers, such as food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. Participating restaurants were encouraged to use New York ingredients to support New York’s farmers. From October 2, 2021, through March 31, 2022, the program provided over one million meals to people in need across the State, partnering with 279 restaurants. Most of these meals were provided during the holiday season, an especially difficult time for the food insecure.

Small businesses (fewer than 100 employees) and micro-businesses (fewer than 25 employees) throughout New York State have been awarded grant funds through the COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program. Providing over $500 million in economic support to over 30,000 entities, the program was created to provide flexible grant assistance to small businesses, micro-businesses, and for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations in the State of New York who have experienced economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

OTDA (Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance) created the Landlord Rental Assistance Program (LRAP) and the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to support New York residents unable to pay rent obligations they previously could afford prior to the pandemic. ERAP has provided significant economic relief to help low- and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance, and utility arrears assistance. LRAP has provided rental assistance for landlords whose tenants were unwilling to apply for the ERAP, including where the tenant has left the rental property. Over 17,900 households have been served in Fiscal Year 2022.^*

New York State identified workers whose duties have been substantially dedicated to public safety; SLFRF funds were used to cover costs associated with maintaining this workforce.

New York State provides more than 3,500 government services to more than 20 million New Yorkers through the work of its State agencies (including authorities, departments, divisions, offices, public benefit corporations, and other governmental entities). Service areas include but are not limited to public health and safety; environmental protection; business, employment, and economic development; nourishment programs to those in need; temporary and disability services; transportation; criminal justice; and many other core government services.