By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Seattle small businesses affected by crime, vandalism, and property damage can now receive significantly more financial assistance through the city’s Back to Business Program after officials increased reimbursement limits for repairs and security improvements.
The Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) recently raised reimbursement caps for businesses participating in the program, which helps small businesses recover from vandalism-related damages and invest in preventative security measures. City officials say the changes are intended to reduce financial barriers that have prevented some businesses from making repairs or upgrading security systems.
The program now offers up to $5,000 per incident through the Storefront Repair Fund, an increase from the previous $3,000 limit. Eligible businesses may receive reimbursement for up to three incidents per calendar year. Through the Storefront Security Fund, businesses can now receive up to $10,000 for approved security improvements, up from the previous $6,000 cap.
“Since taking office, I have met with hundreds of small business owners, and the message to me has been clear. It is difficult to be a small business owner right now, and the City can and should do more to help,” said Mayor Katie B. Wilson. “That’s why I am glad programs and services like Back to Business exist and am proud to support them. If we can provide even a little relief to small businesses when they are impacted by crime or vandalism or when they want to do more to protect their business, that can go a long way for the business being able to invest back in itself and its community.”
The expanded funding builds on a recovery initiative launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to help businesses recover from vandalism-related damages. In August 2025, Seattle launched the Back to Business Program with renewed funding, and the city has committed $3.3 million to support the program through 2026.
According to OED, many businesses reported that previous reimbursement limits did not cover enough of their expenses to make repairs or security upgrades financially feasible.
“We have heard from small businesses that the previous cap on reimbursements made getting a timely repair or prevention measure cost-prohibitive,” said Eric Moss, communications director for the Seattle Office of Economic Development. “By increasing the caps, we are hoping more businesses will make their repairs and increase security with the peace of mind that they will recover more of the costs.”
“We are trying to get the word out to as many businesses as possible so they can apply now, or are already familiar with the program if they need the service later,” Moss added.
For many small businesses operating on tight margins, unexpected repair costs can delay reopening, strain finances and divert resources away from growth and investment. City officials believe the expanded reimbursement limits will help businesses recover more quickly while encouraging preventative security improvements.
Between August 2025 and the end of May 2026, the Back to Business Program awarded 437 grants to 325 businesses, totaling more than $1.03 million in reimbursements. Businesses may apply to both the Storefront Security Fund and the Storefront Repair Fund if they meet eligibility requirements and provide the necessary documentation.
The increased reimbursement caps are expected to cover 100% of recovery and prevention costs for approximately 90% of eligible applicants. Business owners whose eligible expenses exceeded previous reimbursement limits will automatically receive retroactive payments for the difference if they originally submitted invoices above the former caps. No action is required to receive those funds.
“After administering the program for several months and evaluating applications, our program team found ways to deepen the support we provide to small businesses who are impacted by crime,” said Beto Yarce, director of the Seattle Office of Economic Development. “Increasing the limits provides more meaningful support to more small businesses and will have a greater impact on a business owner’s bottom line. The Back to Business Program is just one tool in our suite of services to make Seattle an easier and more affordable place to do business.”
OED officials said outreach efforts have focused on ensuring Black-owned and other BIPOC-owned businesses are aware of and able to access available resources.
“We work with neighborhood organizations and business improvement areas to let small businesses know about the program,” said Moss. “We have also placed ads in many of the local BIPOC-centered media to help spread the word. We continue to work with neighborhood partners to do more outreach to Black and BIPOC-owned businesses.”
Moss said the highest number of applications have come from the Chinatown-International District and Capitol Hill, while participation in Rainier Valley has continued to grow as awareness of the program increases.
Seattle City Council President Joy Hollingsworth said the program has already helped many businesses recover from costly setbacks.
“OED’s Back to Business Program has been instrumental in helping small businesses recover and get back on their feet. Without this support, many local businesses may not have been able to afford the costly repairs needed to reopen their doors,” said Hollingsworth. “I love seeing this program expanding so that even more small businesses that call Seattle home can access the resources they need to recover, grow and continue serving our communities.”
