By: Alana Melanson
LOWELL — U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan on Tuesday applauded the $150,000 in federal CARES Act grant funding awarded to the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments.
The funds come from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration’s COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Project, aimed at supporting redevelopment and revitalization in communities negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
“With local governments being forced to carry the brunt of the load that COVID-19 has brought to our communities, this funding will be incredibly helpful in getting Lowell and surrounding communities the assistance they deserve,” Trahan said in a statement. “It’s critical that our region gets back on its feet and provide greater economic infrastructure for future generations too. While CARES Act funds continue to work their way to Greater Lowell, it’s clear that more relief is needed.”
The goal of the funding is to mitigate the disruptions of the pandemic and prepare the region for future disasters.
“The economic injury created by COVID-19 has been devastating for our region and the nation,” Beverly Woods, executive director of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments, or NMCOG, said in a statement. “Small businesses, such as restaurants and retail establishments, have been particularly hit hard.”
She said the funding will be used to develop an economic recovery and resiliency plan that addresses impacts to health care, loss of employment and income and housing and food security in the region NMCOG serves. The public agency is governed by a board comprised of elected officials from Lowell, Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Pepperell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro and Westford.
“The ability of the region to prepare for and survive future economic shocks and disruptions, natural disasters, and public health emergencies will be enhanced through technical assistance and capacity building support for communities and economic development stakeholders across the Greater Lowell region,” Woods said.
In March, Trahan supported the passage of the CARES Act to deliver $2.2 trillion to help working families, emergency personnel, small businesses and state and local governments. The legislation included $1.5 billion for economic adjustment assistance through the EDA to assist communities that have suffered pandemic-related losses. The funds can be used to help rebuild such impacted industries as tourism or manufacturing supply chains, provide low-interest loans to businesses and support other local economic recovery priorities.
