Princeton Newsletter/COVID-19 Update

To read the latest vaccine update from the Princeton Health Department, click here. For the week of Feb. 22, Mercer County has received 2,600 doses for its two vaccination sites—one at CURE Arena, in partnership with Capital Health System, and the other at Mercer County Community College's West Windsor campus. In order to receive your vaccine from Mercer County, you must first register into the state system through NJVSS at https://covidvaccine.nj.gov/.

Eligible residents who are already on the Princeton waitlist will continue to be offered appointments and then be scheduled into the allocated slots at one of the two county-facilitated vaccination sites. Those on the list should anticipate that it may take weeks or more to vaccinate everyone. If you are on the Princeton waitlist and receive your vaccine elsewhere, please email the Princeton Health Department to remove your name from the list.

Cannabis Task Force Seeks Volunteers

An application for the newly formed Cannabis Task Force is available on the municipal website. We encourage those who live, work or own businesses in Princeton and who have an interest in this important topic to apply by March 1. This Task Force will be a working group; each member is expected to contribute 10-15 hours per month for up to eight months so that we can thoroughly and expeditiously address issues that may impact our community. For more information and to access the application, click here.

Rental Assistance Program

Princeton tenants whose incomes are affected by COVID-19 may be eligible to receive up to three months of rental payments through the Housing Initiatives of Princeton’s (HIP) Rental Assistance Program. Through a Community Development Block Grant, HIP has been successfully providing funds directly to landlords for dozens of Princeton renters since December 2020, reducing monthly rental rates by an average of 20 percent. Applying online is simple and requires minimal documentation. To be eligible, applicants must live in Princeton, their income must have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and they must have a valid, signed lease. For more information or any questions, please email HIP or call (609) 921-2328.

Throughout the month of February, Princeton is celebrating the achievements and history of African Americans as part of Black History Month. Check out these local events being held virtually and in-person:

Hunger Free New Jersey, an independent, non-profit organization, is looking for ways to make the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, available to more people in need. All NJ residents are invited to click here and take a quick and anonymous online survey by midnight, Feb. 22. The survey results will be released in a report in the coming weeks, along with actionable recommendations for how state leaders can improve SNAP to make it easier for people to receive this help. For more information, please visit https://hungerfreenj.org/njsnapsurvey/ or email Nancy Parello.

NJ small businesses and organizations under 100 employees can now apply for an additional 65% discount on personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased through the Authority’s New Jersey Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program. Small businesses and organizations interested in receiving these discounts must apply at https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov. Businesses approved prior to Dec. 17, 2020, do not need to reapply.

Princeton’s four public elementary schools have created a collaborative, multi-school fundraiser that supports local businesses and raises much-needed funds for students and teachers. The Princeton Perks Discount Card costs $25 and entitles the cardholder to a discount (generally 10% off) from more than 40 local shops and restaurants through December 31, 2021.

The cards can be purchased online by visiting www.princetonperks.com and then selecting a school’s portal. Cards will be available for purchase through February 28, 2021. For more information including a list of participating local businesses, click here.

Due to COVID-19, AARP will be offering an Alternative Tax Preparation program virtually instead of its in-person Tax-Aide Program in Mercer County. For more information visit the AARP Foundation website.

The deadline to apply for a Second Draw PPP Loan is March 31, 2021. To promote access for smaller lenders and their customers, SBA will initially only accept Second Draw PPP Loan applications from participating community financial institutions (CFIs). All Second Draw PPP Loans will have the same terms regardless of lender or borrower. 

To be matched with a participating lender, visit SBA Lender Match. If you wish to begin preparing your application, you can download the following PPP borrower application form to see the information that will be requested from you when you apply with a lender: Paycheck Protection Program Second Draw Borrower Application Form.

Princeton COVID-19 Case Data Status Report

Average Age of Positive Cases: 47.6 Years

Highest 7-day total - 39 (12/12-12/18)

Isolation Completed: 568

Negative Test Results: 10303

Municipality of Princeton | (609) 924-4141| www.princetonnj.gov