The Los Angeles small business grants program targets struggling neighborhood businesses facing declining revenue, immigration enforcement impacts, and rising costs.
Small businesses have been among the hardest hit since the pandemic. One by one, they have fought to survive business closures and declining economic activity. Just as many were beginning to recover, new challenges emerged: intensified immigration enforcement, rising tariffs, and unemployment—all of which have placed additional strain on small business owners.
In Los Angeles, small businesses are now facing significant pressure on multiple fronts. Increased immigration enforcement has led to revenue losses of over 50% for 43% of Hispanic/Latino business owners, while rising import tariffs have sharply impacted those who rely on imported goods.
Yesterday, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez announced the launch of a $400,000 Small Business Grant Program to provide immediate financial relief to independently owned businesses across Council District 1. The announcement took place in her lifelong neighborhood of Highland Park. This community has experienced rapid change over the past decade, where many long-standing small businesses have been displaced by rising rents.
This support comes at a critical moment. The grant program will assist local businesses facing rising operating costs, the economic impact of recent immigration enforcement activity and wildfires, and shifts in consumer foot traffic. The investment is part of the Councilmember’s broader effort to stabilize neighborhood economies and ensure that small businesses remain anchors in their communities.
“I remember in 2008, during the recession, my mom would come to this very block—to a pawn shop that’s no longer here—to sell her jewelry just so we could get by and not lose our home.
That was a tough time for us. And it was small businesses on these streets that kept us going. They fed us. They extended grace. So the fight to support small businesses is very personal for me,” Hernandez said.
“As a lifelong Angeleno, I’ve watched too many legacy businesses disappear, replaced by spaces that don’t reflect the people who built this community,” she added. “These small businesses are the backbone of our neighborhoods and the heart of our city. Right now, they are being squeezed from every direction, while the state continues to fall short on commercial tenant protections. This program meets the moment with real resources to help businesses stay open, retain workers, and continue serving their communities—even amid immigration enforcement and economic instability.”
The press conference took place at Delicias Bakery and Some, a Latina-owned coffee and concha shop that has served the community for years, alongside other neighborhood institutions like La Palapa.
The program will be administered in partnership with PACE Business Development Center and New Economics for Women, both of which have extensive experience supporting small and immigrant-owned businesses.
Local business owners welcomed the announcement. Representatives from the Northeast L.A. Small Business Network (NELA SBN), a grassroots coalition formed in response to growing challenges, emphasized the importance of collective support.
“We’re excited to share this opportunity with our network,” said Isabel Reyes, co-founder of NELA SBN. “NELA SBN is about small businesses moving together, sharing resources, uplifting one another, and building power in our own neighborhoods.”
Businesses in Council District 1 will be able to apply for grants starting Friday.
“I’ve seen our small business communities pushed to the edge time and again—and right now, that pressure is showing up as fear,” Hernandez concluded. “When people are afraid to leave their homes, small businesses feel it immediately. Foot traffic drops. Workers can’t show up. Families are forced into survival mode. Once again, the same communities are being hit the hardest. That’s why we’ve been moving with urgency.”
