This application is not proof of equity status for the Cannabis Equity Program. You are not verified as an Equity applicant until you are issued a verification letter from the Economic Development.The Economic Development Department will review all of the documents you submit and will send you a verification letter letting you know if you meet the eligibility criteria as an Equity Applicant. Once you are verified as an Equity Applicant, you will receive access to the City's Cannabis Equity Program which may include technical assistance and grant assistance.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Economic Development Department Office at 510-620-6512. For more contact information, please visit www.ci.richmond.ca.us/3938/Economic-Development for more information.
Choose one only.
A cannabis business is eligible for the Cannabis Equity program if the business is either:
Classification 3: A cannabis business with not less than 51% ownership interest by individuals meeting Classification 1 or 2 criteria and their business resides within the City of Richmond. If no such individual exists, individuals meeting Classification 1 or 2 criteria from other applicable areas may be utilized. Classification 1 and 2 are as follows:
For businesses, please continue to complete the form ONLY after the owners meeting at least 51% ownership has filled the application for individuals and have been verified as an equity applicant.
You can select as many as you want, and can change your mind later.
To qualify for the equity program, you need to prove that your household income does not exceed 80% of the average median income (AMI) applicable to Contra Costa County.
Proof and income can be from any year within the past five (5) years.
The 2022 limits are below:
https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/77517/2022-State-Income-Limits
Income must be at or below eighty percent (80%) of the Contra Costa County Area Median Income (AMI)
Include your children and anyone else that you live with every day. Do not include nannies and in-home help.
Please provide your federal and state tax returns. Federal tax returns must include your full name and *adjusted gross income.
Documentation can be from any year within the past five (5) years. *Must be at or below eighty percent (80%) of the Contra Costa County Area Median Income
Documentation can be from any year within the past five (5) years.
To meet the residency requirement, please provide supporting documentation for the options listed below. All documents must include 1) evidence of current or previous residency, 2) full name of the equity applicant, and 3) address of Richmond residence.
To be an equity applicant, you must be a current or former resident of the City of Richmond who previously or currently resides in a low-income household and meet the criteria below. For each criteria that you meet, you must provide us with documents that show you meet the criteria. Here are a few examples of what you could include: - notices of eviction - tax returns - school attendance records - declarations from attorneys familiar with your conviction history .You have to upload proof for at least one (1) of the conditions.
1. Have you or an immediate family member ever been arrested or convicted for a cannabis-related crime?
To meet the cannabis criminalization requirement, please provide court documents, probation documents, and/or Department of Corrections of Federal Bureau of Prisons documents.
All documents must include:
2. Have you or an immediate family member ever been evicted, had your home taken through foreclosure or had a housing subsidy revoked in Richmond since 1995?
3. Have you or an immediate family member lived in the City of Richmond for the last four (4) years?
4. Did you or an immediate family member attend a school in the City of Richmond under the jurisdiction of the West Contra Costa Unified School District, either consecutively or in total, during the period 1971-2016?
5. Have you or an immediate family memberlived in public housing in the City of Richmond for at least four (4) years?
I declare, under penalty of perjury, that all of the information provided in this application and provided in all attachments are true and correct. I certify that this application has been completed to the best of my knowledge. I also acknowledge that it is my responsibility to comply with the provisions of the Richmond Municipal Code and all laws, rules, and regulations which govern my application to be eligible for the Cannabis Equity Program. I acknowledge and understand that including false, misleading, or fraudulent information in this application may cause my status as an Equity Applicant in the Cannabis Equity Program to be denied and/or revoked.
Any document or record that is used, retained, or maintained by the City during the course of business is considered public record. Unless a specific exemption from disclosure applies, the City may be required to disclose application information in response to a California Public Records Act request (Government Code Section 6250 et seq.)
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