ORANGE — The Selectboard has authorized the town’s planning and community development director to partner with Greenfield and the Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority to apply for state money to provide relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alec Wade received unanimous approval to develop a regional application for emergency Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for micro-enterprises while the pandemic is wreaking havoc on the American economy.

During a Selectboard meeting held via Zoom last week, Wade said he had spoken with Brian McHugh, director of community development at the housing authority based in Turners Falls, and MJ Adams, their counterpart for Greenfield, who agreed to work in tandem as recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.

“So, the way this funding is structured is that applicants can receive up to $10,000 of loan money and it can be fully forgivable,” Wade explained, adding that a municipality can structure it differently once it receives the money.

Wade said McHugh, who is typically Orange’s Community Development Block Grant administrator, is encouraging Orange to team up with Greenfield, which is acting as a “lead community.”

Wade said Adams has offered to help the majority of Franklin County towns, and “is a real expert when it comes to CDBG.”

“MJ Adams is really a leader in this field,” Wade said. “(McHugh and I) are incredibly confident that she’ll be able to put together a really well-rounded application.”

Selectboard Chair Ryan Mailloux, Vice Chair Jane Peirce and member Bill Wrigley expressed enthusiasm over Wade’s proposal.

“I really like your strategy of partnering with Greenfield and making sure that we do everything we can to leverage all the resources,” Peirce told him. “It’s great.”

Wade mentioned two other sectors — rental assistance and social services — affected by COVID-19 that can also benefit from emergency Community Development Block Grant money. He said residents who are eligible for rental assistance and any social service industry that has previously been assisted by CDBG funding should contact him at awade@townoforange.org so he can guide them through the application process.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.