LOS ANGELES - Today, 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 was held in Hernandez’ lifelong neighborhood of Highland Park, a community that has experienced rapid change over the past decade, with many long-standing small businesses pushed out by rising rents.
The grant program will support local businesses facing surging operational costs, the economic impacts of recent immigration enforcement activity and wildfires, and shifting consumer foot traffic. The investment is part of the Councilmember’s broader efforts to stabilize neighborhood economies and ensure small businesses can continue to serve as anchors in their communities.
“As a lifelong Angeleno, I’ve watched too many of our legacy businesses disappear, replaced by spaces that don’t reflect the people who built this community,” said Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. “These small businesses are the backbone of our neighborhoods and the heart and soul of our city, and right now they’re being squeezed from every direction, all while the state continues to fall short on commercial tenant protections. This program is meeting the moment with real resources to help businesses stay open, keep workers employed, and continue serving our neighborhoods even in the face of ICE raids and economic instability driven by the Trump administration.”
The conference took place at Delicias Bakery and Some, a legacy, Latina-owned coffee and conchas shop that has served the community for years, alongside other historic neighborhood institutions like La Palapa.
The program will be administered in partnership with the PACE Business Development Center and New Economics for Women, both of which bring deep experience supporting small and immigrant-owned businesses in Los Angeles.
"PACE is proud to partner with Council District 1 on the Small Business Support Grant Program,” said PACE CEO, Kerry Doi. “In neighborhoods like Westlake and Pico Union, small businesses—many of them immigrant-owned—have spent years creating jobs, fostering community, and keeping local corridors thriving. Today, many face rising costs, displacement, and economic uncertainty. With this action, Councilwoman Hernandez demonstrates her foresight and commitment to supporting the members of her district, and PACE commends her for stepping up when others attack. As an organization that has spent over three decades supporting Los Angeles entrepreneurs, we know how critical this funding can be in helping businesses stay open, keep employees, and continue serving their communities. Most importantly, this program reinforces that community-rooted businesses are essential to the city’s future."
“At New Economics for Women, we believe small businesses are powerful drivers of economic mobility and community resilience,” said NEW Executive Director, Leticia Andueza. “We’re proud to partner with Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez to deliver this grant program and ensure critical resources reach the businesses that sustain our neighborhoods. At a time of real uncertainty, we are committed to standing alongside entrepreneurs with the support they need to build a stronger future.”
Local business owners welcomed the announcement. A representative from the Northeast L.A. Small Business Network (NELA SBN), a grassroots coalition formed by local business owners in response to the increasing challenges of operating a small business, 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, putting each other on, and building power on our own block.”
Businesses in Council District 1 will be able to apply for grants starting on Friday.
Photos and B-roll can be found here.