Section 691.60  Disproportionately Impacted Areas

a)         The Department will allocate no less than 40% of program funding to Qualifying Businesses located in Disproportionately Impacted Areas.

b)         A Disproportionately Impacted Area may be added or removed from prioritization based on changes in relative COVID-19 rates and economic distress.  If the Department recategorizes an area, removing its designation as a disproportionately impacted area, businesses that have applied prior to that update will maintain the previous prioritization status.

c)         In determining prioritization of industries or zip codes within Disproportionately Impacted Areas, the Department will give greater weight to areas that had significantly higher rates of COVID-19 cases per capita and zip codes with higher levels of poverty.

d)         The Department shall maintain records for a period of 5 years, from the date a prioritized zip code or industry is selected, the assessment of how the Department identified each Disproportionately Impacted Area.