News

Published on: 6/16/2021

The York County Commissioners on Wednesday approved the allocation of approximately $1.5 million of American Rescue Plan funding to fully cover the county’s COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) grant awards.

The initial CHIRP funding was used to award all of York County’s 223 eligible applicants with roughly 75 percent of what they had requested and were approved for in their applications. This was done to make sure every eligible applicant received funds. The commissioners’ use of American Rescue Plan money will cover the remaining 25 percent of grant awards so these businesses receive their total eligible amount.

“We did not want any business to not receive its full eligibility, so we decided to cover the balance and make sure all of our eligible applicants receive all of what they had requested,” said York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler. “This gives our hospitality industry in York County the best chance possible at rebounding and rebuilding post-pandemic.”

CHIRP was created by the state to assist hospitality businesses such as restaurants, hotels and theaters that have struggled financially. These businesses were the first to shut down last year and they were among the last permitted to reopen.

York County’s 223 eligible recipients were awarded a total of $6.46 million. The businesses are located in 44 of the county’s 72 municipalities. Of these businesses, 34 percent are owned by persons of color, 31 percent are owned by women and 7 percent are owned by veterans.