Posted on 07/18/2025
The Local Business Assistance Resource Center (LBARC) is being established to support businesses and their staff adversely affected by curfews, vandalism, disruption to customer access, and loss of revenue during the early June 2025 demonstrations. Its primary mission is to help businesses recover, rebuild, and restore operations through targeted assistance, financial aid, and community engagement.
Read and/or download the list of collected business resources*, or follow the links below to the host sites for full information.
SBA Disaster Loan Program
The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued an emergency declaration and opened an (online) business recovery center to assist small businesses affected by the recent demonstrations. Eligible businesses can now apply for up to $2 million in low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Apply by March 27, 2026, at the LA County Civil Unrest SBA portal.
The SBA offers low-interest federal loans to businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters. Funds may be used to pay for such costs as repairs of real estate and replacing damaged equipment or inventory.
Economic injury loans are available for working capital to help pay a variety of financial obligations until normal operations resume.
LA Civil Rights
The LA Civil + Human Rights & Equity Department has the authority to enforce the City's Civil and Human Rights Law, which prohibits discrimination in the private sector in the areas of commerce, education, employment, and housing. Find out more at LA is for Everyone
LA County Immigrant Affairs
The Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs works to advance the well-being of immigrants by providing and connecting them with support services for all aspects of life. Services include: outreach and engagement; legal aid; language access; and fraud protection.
Coalition for Responsible Community Development
The CRDC Southeast LA Business Resource Center exists to sustain, coordinate, and improve planning, development, and community services that address the needs of low-income and working-class residents and small businesses in South Los Angeles through: business technical assistance; loan packaging; access to capital; marketing support; and graffiti abatement and beautification.
LA County Economic Opportunity
The Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is LA County’s central economic and workforce development hub helping residents connect to new career pathways, start and certify a business, and access life-changing opportunities. Services offered include: one-on-one counseling; business concierge; business certifications; access to America's Job Centers of California; training and education for the workforce; and access to capital support.
Other DEO forms of small business aid include:
Small Business Mobility Fund Formalization Grants for those operating in unincorporated LA County -- up to $5,000 for permit fees and other costs.
Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation Program (in cooperation with LA Public Health), which allows food preparers to operate a small-scale restaurant from their home.
LA County Economic Development
The nonprofit LA County Economic Development Corporation focuses on equitable economic growth in LA. They use research to advance key industries, collaborate with educational institutions to develop a robust workforce, and provide government officials with economic data to ensure continued growth within the county.
California Small Business Advocate
The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) supports economic growth by providing resources and support to the state’s 4.1 million small businesses, including nonprofits and startups. Its mission is to help all California small business-owners find and navigate resources, programs and regulations so they can start, manage, grow, become more resilient, and thrive.
ICON CDC
The nonprofit Initiating Change in Our Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation (ICON CDC) offers free assistance to small businesses, including: microloans (up to $50,000) and access to other forms of capital. They also work with sidewalk vendors operating in LA City to help them legalize their businesses, including: business licensing and permitting, securing free carts, transportation and storage, and with help to understand vending regulations.
LA City Community Beautification
The City's Board of Public Works' Office of Community Beautification operates a Citywide graffiti-removal program. Report graffiti three ways: dial 3-1-1 within the City; visit LACity.gov/MyLA311 or download the MyLA311 mobile app at Google Play or Apple App stores.
LA Legal Help
The LA Regional Small Business Legal Aid Program - a partnership of several LA County public and private support organizations (see link) - provides free help and training for small businesses with legal issues that can include: commercial leasing; landlord/tenant questions; small business setup and registration; contracts; and intellectual property/trademarks.
Accessity
Accessity is a private, small-business lender with programs for startups and expanding businesses in need of anywhere from $300 to $150,000.
Operation Hope
Operation Hope's Project Restore Hope LA offers assistance with: FEMA applications and appeals; SBA loan applications; small business recovery; foreclosure prevention; insurance claims; creditor negotiations and payment deferrals; as well as financial counseling and recovery budgeting.
New Economics for Women
The New Economics for Women East LA BusinessSource Center (NEW ELABSC) provides coaching, mentoring, and business resources in order to foster economic stability for women and their families. See also NEW-affiliated training webinars & resources.
Small Business Development Center
In addition to other business services, the LA Regional Small Business Development Center Network now offers a Food Truck Business Loan program with funding available up to $350,000 for businesses operating in LA County. Contact the SBDC team at info@pcrsbdc.com for details.
Financial donations to support and help restore local businesses may also be submitted to the LA EMD Disaster Relief Fund.
For general inquiries related to LA City services, call 311.
*EMD periodically lists helpful non-governmental and commercial business resources and provides links to them here. This is done as a service to Angelenos, however, inclusion of such links in no way constitutes an endorsement of those sites or their host organization. This does not imply that any LA City agency endorses the products or services they offer.