Declare Coronavirus an Economic Disaster for New York's Chinatowns

Governor Andrew Cuomo

Small business owners in each of New York's Chinatowns are reporting a decline in business over 50% through the last several weeks due to the effects of the coronavirus. These aren’t mega corporations that can simply absorb the loss. These are neighborhood restaurants, local hotels, family owned shops and stores. The owners and their staff live here. They are part of the community.

Coronavirus-related travel restrictions are keeping people here safe, but they are also reducing tourism to an area that depends on it heavily. The coronavirus is creating an economic disaster in each of New York’s three Chinatowns. If we’re going to ensure that our community manages through this disaster, we need to band together just like we did during 9/11 and Superstorm Sandy.

We are calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to do the following to help small businesses and the working families of New York City:

1) Declare the coronavirus a natural disaster and provide disaster relief grants and mitigation funds to small businesses;
2) Provide small businesses with access to zero-interest and government guaranteed loans so that they can keep their staff, who are working families, in our community;
3) Guarantee Unemployment Benefits for Impacted Workers so that workers have support when they lose their jobs;

4) Pass commercial loan forbearance and offer property tax relief to affected small commercial property owners so the coronavirus doesn’t leave an entire neighborhood of empty storefronts for decades and;
5) Provide a State Earned Income Tax Credit for working families so that families that need immediate cash infusions can get something back in this year's tax filing.

More information on the plan is on the website: https://www.graceleeforassembly.com/coronavirusplan
Sponsored by
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Grace Lee for Assembly
New York, NY

To: Governor Andrew Cuomo
From: [Your Name]

New York City's Chinatowns are suffering as a direct result of the coronavirus. Small businesses in the communities are reporting a loss in business of over 50% for over a month, and as you said in your briefing this week, it is likely to get worse before it gets better.

Therefore, I am urging you to take the following immediate actions to help our struggling communities and working families to navigate this economic natural disaster:

1) Declare the coronavirus a natural disaster and provide disaster relief grants and mitigation funds to small businesses;
2) Provide small businesses with access to zero-interest and government guaranteed loans so that they can keep their staff, who are working families, in our community;
3) Guarantee Unemployment Benefits for Impacted Workers ​​so that workers have support when they lose their jobs;
4) Pass commercial loan forbearance and offer property tax relief to affected small commercial property owners so the coronavirus doesn’t leave an entire neighborhood of empty storefronts for decades ​and;
5) Provide a State Earned Income Tax Credit for working families so that families that need immediate cash infusions can get something back in this year's tax filing.