FLORENCE-On Friday, February 4, the City of Florence, Alabama Office of Planning and Community Development received the prestigious Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award through the National Community Development Association (NCDA) in Washington, D.C. for the creation and implementation of Florence First, a unique economic program to provide financial relief from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to small businesses.
Florence First provided relief to 69 small businesses across nine industries for fixed expenses resulting in reduced job loss and business closures. Melissa H. Bailey, Planning Director and program creator, said, “Florence First is an extraordinary example of how federal funding administered through local governments can increase economic stability and boost economic recovery to mitigate the impact of crises on communities.”
“As we navigated the global pandemic, we discovered the arts and entertainment industry was expected to have the most long-term economic disruption with unemployment rates more than 1.5 times that of the national rate. Thus, born from Florence First, Florence ROCKS! was presented to provide funding to an industry that has defined our corner of the world and to further our goal of supporting economic recovery,” said Bailey.
“The vision for both programs was to use our resources to reduce job loss and closures by providing small, local business owners relief from the financial impacts of the pandemic. In Florence, 90% of businesses have fifty or fewer employees, 67% with ten or fewer, and 42% with five or fewer. These small businesses are foundational to keeping our community and economy running strong,” said Lyndsey A. Borden, Assistant Director of Community Development.
The Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award recognizes exemplary and innovative projects and programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant programs.
The NCDA is a national organization representing local government agencies that administer federal community development programs. Bailey expressed, “The recognition by NCDA is a testament to the Florence First program and the resilience of our business community. It is an incredible honor to receive this national award.”
Media Release/Rachel Mansell/City of Florence
