The City Opera House received nearly $200,000 in support from two federal COVID-19 relief programs, the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant and Paycheck Protection Program, the nonprofit arts venue announced Wednesday.

"We are grateful for the support we have received over the last year and a half to help cover some costs while the theater was dark," says City Opera House Executive Director Diana Baribeau. "We also appreciate the acknowledgement at the national level of the contributions that venues like the City Opera House make to our local and state economic vitality and community vibrancy, and the need for venues like ours to continue to thrive into the future."

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, and amended by the American Rescue Plan Act. The program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues and allows for eligible applicants to apply for grants equal to 45 percent of their gross earned revenue. SVOG is administered by the Small Business Administration.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a $953 billion business loan program established through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) to help certain businesses and nonprofit organizations pay for payroll expenses and some other costs through low interest loans and forgiveness programs. 

The federal support received through the SVOG and PPP programs will "cover some of the operational expenses of the venue and helps put the City Opera House in a position to be able to open its doors again to the community and visitors to the region," the organization said in a release.