SBA renews council to address COVID relief inequities in underserved areas

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reconvening the Council on Underserved Communities (CUC) under the authority of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The council will address the inequality of implementation of COVID programs within underserved communities. Established in 2010, the council has been inactive since early 2020.

“The previous implementation of COVID programs has frequently left behind underserved communities,” the SBA said in a statement. “The success SBA and the small-business community have seen from prioritizing equity in programs such as the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and the third round of the Paycheck Protection Program exemplify the need to continue this progress. The Shuttered Venues Operators Grant, the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loans (including Targeted Advance grants), and Community Navigator programs push SBA even further in the right direction. SBA’s reconvening of the CUC presents an opportunity to hear from trailblazing voices and to continue to make the small-business community a more equitable one.”