January 21, 2023

 

Launched in January 2021, Trellus is a Long Beach-based on-demand, same-day delivery service and marketplace which helps small local businesses from Queens to Montauk save time and money - bringing to life the often-repeated mantra, Shop Local. 

 

Trellus is opening an application process to select 20 small businesses in need of delivery services. Each eligible small business will receive $500 to cover their Trellus subscription and delivery costs.

 

Trellus currently works with over 300 small businesses and 80+ gig drivers who deliver all across Long Island seven days a week. 

 

JR Jensen, co-founder and chief technology officer at Trellus, explains, “Small businesses deserve a win against the likes of Amazon, Walmart, and other e-commerce giants. Trellus is breaking down barriers to help independently owned businesses survive. We’re thrilled to share this $10,000 with independent businesses on Long Island that are driving local economic growth and breathing life into our downtowns.”

 

Winning a Business Leadership Award at the 2022 Long Island Smart Growth Awards, co-founder and CEO Adam Haber stated, “Our communities are home to so many great small businesses that have been here for generations. Unfortunately, many of these businesses have struggled to retain customers as shopping online has become more and more popular.”

 

The Trellus Local Delivery Grant program will accept applications from brick-and-mortar retailers, professional services, and home-based businesses. Trellus encourages businesses with a strong community focus to apply, particularly those owned by women, BIPOC, and military veterans.

 

Eligible small businesses should submit their application as soon as possible. The Trellus team will begin contacting applicants at the beginning of February, with the application window remaining open until Febuary 14, 2023.

 

 

 

 

The Southold Town Housing Advisory Commission is garnering resident input, via an online community housing survey, to help the Commission draft a housing plan to present to the Town Board in the coming months, The Suffolk Times reports. 

 

The Peconic Bay Region Community Housing Act, which was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in the fall of 2021, allows each of the five East End towns to create a dedicated Community Housing Fund to assist with affordable housing initiatives.

 

The Fund is not financed from property taxes, the Town of Southold stresses. It is derived from the new 0.5% real estate transfer fee, approved by the voters on November 8, 2022. 

 

The transfer fee could bring in between $1 million and $2 million per year for community housing in Southold, The Suffolk Times writes. The town is scheduled to begin collecting funds this year, but the money cannot be spent until the Town Board holds a public hearing and approves a plan for how it will be used.

 

The Town defines “Community Housing” as a variety of housing opportunities for individuals and families of various economic means - encompassing income limits associated with affordable housing, while also including higher income brackets that do not typically qualify for assistance.

 

The Community Housing Advisory Commission consists of representatives from the fields of construction, real estate, banking, human services, and housing advocacy. 

 

The Community Housing Survey is available online in both English and Spanish. There are also paper copies available at Town Hall and local libraries. Town officials said that the next goal for data capture from the survey is the end of January, but they plan to keep the survey open to ensure that the final draft includes the most recent metrics, the Suffolk Times reports.

 

 

The Nassau County Office of Community Development (NC OCD) is the administering agency for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, and the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program, collectively known as HUD’s Consolidated Programs. These programs are intended to support the goals of providing a suitable living environment, decent housing, and expanding economic opportunities for low to moderate income persons.

 

As a condition of receiving the above noted federal funds for federal fiscal year 2023, HUD requirements stipulate that the Nassau County OCD must submit an Annual Action Plan describing how each year’s expected funding may be used to further the goals established in the Nassau County Five Year Consolidated Plan. The FY2023 Action Plan must outline proposed activities that the County and its subgrantees and subrecipients will carry out during the County’s 2023 Program Year, which begins on September 1, 2023. Nassau County anticipates receiving approximately $13,400,000.00 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program funds, $2,200,000.00 in HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program funds, and $1,200,000.00 in Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program funds. 

 

To initiate the process, the Nassau County OCD will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 6:00 PM. The Public Hearing will take place both in person and via Microsoft Teams for convenience. Details of the Public Hearing are as follows:

 

When: 
January 25, 2023 at 6:00 PM

Topic: 
Nassau County FY 2023 Public Hearing on CD & Housing Needs

Physical Location: 
1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501 – Legislative Chambers

Virtual Location: 
The virtual streaming of the Public Hearing will be available via Microsoft Teams. https://tinyurl.com/ye8b5sva

Call in (audio only): 
+1 508-556-4407, Phone Conference ID: 753 663 813#

 

The purpose of the hearing is to identify housing and community development needs in the County, review past performance and proposed program amendments, and to identify anticipated sources of funding for FY2023 program year.

 

All citizens, non-profit organizations and other interested parties are invited to attend and provide input and comments. Written comments should be forwarded to the address provided below or by e-mail to Theresa Dukes at tdukes@nassaucountyny.gov. Formal Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA) will be published when HUD makes the official funding announcements. For further information or if additional reasonable accommodations or language translation services are needed, please contact the Office Community Development (516) 572-1924. 

 

A link to the online CDBG, HOME and ESG funding applications will be available on January 25, 2023 at this link: CLICK HERE