Advocates pushing back on SBA disqualifying people with any record from business relief

Last week in this post, I noted the effective coverage by Collateral Consequences Resource Center of the U.S. Small Business Administration disqualifying people for small business loans based on any past criminal record during the COVID-19 pandemic.   Now CCRC has this new post, "Bipartisan coalition calls on SBA to roll back record-related restrictions in COVID-19 small business loan programs," and it starts this way:

On April 17 a diverse bipartisan group of civil rights, advocacy, and business organizations, including CCRC, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Carranza expressing concern over the restrictions imposed by the SBA on people with a record of arrest or conviction under two programs recently authorized by Congress in response to the COVID-19 crisis.  The letter points out that these unwarranted restrictions on loan programs intended to aid small businesses and non-profits will have a significant and detrimental impact in communities across the country, and a particularly harsh effect on minority business owners and employees who are disproportionately affected by the criminal legal system as a result of institutional discrimination.  It urges that federal relief be made equitably accessible to all who need it.

The letter, which is available here, includes an appendix detailing how the new rules and policies governing the Payroll Protection Program are more restrictive than those which normally are applied by the SBA.

Prior related post:

• Great coverage of the awful work of SBA disqualifying people with any record from CARES small business loans