On April 17th, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) announced partnerships with six Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). These partnerships will leverage New Jersey-based CDFIs to provide between $20 million and $30 million in low-cost financing to small and microbusinesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

The CDFI Emergency Loan Loss Reserve Fund is a $10 million capital reserve fund that the NJEDA will use to take a first loss position on CDFI COVID-related loans that provide low-interest working capital to microbusinesses that have been negatively impacted by the outbreak. The NJEDA will back these loans up to 50% if they default in the future. This will allow the CDFI partners to increase their capacity and participate in more loans, at flexible term and lower interest rates.

CDFI approved partners are as follows:

• New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC)
• UCEDC
• Regional Business Assistance Corporate (RBAC)
• Cooperative Business Assistance Corporation (CBAC)
• Greater Newark Enterprise Corporation (GNAC)
• 1^st Bergen Federal Credit Union
• Note: all but 1^st Bergen Federal Credit Union will also take part in the new CDFI Emergency Assistance Grant Program. 

The CDFI Emergency Assistance Grant Program is a $1.25 million program that will provide five CDFIs grants of $250,000. These grants will help the CDFIs scale their operations due to the high demand for assistance from business owners and buy down interest rates on their loans to offer borrowers more flexible loan terms at lower rates to help small and micro businesses survive during this COVID-19 outbreak.

To read the EDA press release, click here.

If you have any questions or comments about the above, please feel free to reach out to Hilary Beckett, Manager, Government Affairs, at hbeckett@chambersnj.com.