SBA Reopens Disaster Loan Filing Period for Superstorm Sandy Survivors
The U.S. Small
Business Administration (SBA) announced it has reopened the filing period for
survivors in all states affected by Superstorm Sandy on December 2, 2015 to
apply for low-interest disaster loans. The new filing deadline for
physical damage and economic injury losses is December 1, 2016.
“The additional time for businesses,
homeowners and renters to request federal disaster loans will go a long way in
continuing to support the rebuilding efforts of the communities affected by
Superstorm Sandy,” said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet. “I want
to thank the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Small Business
Committees for their leadership on this issue. We look forward to working
with them to make sure the needs of small businesses are met.”
The recently approved Recovery
Improvements for Small Entities (RISE) After Disaster Act of 2015 gives the SBA
Administrator the authority to make disaster loans for Superstorm Sandy for a
period of one year. The bill authorizes SBA to revise the disaster
deadline for major Presidential declarations for Superstorm Sandy in Connecticut,
Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. Additionally, SBA will
be accepting applications under its related agency declarations for North
Carolina, Puerto Rico, Virginia, West Virginia and certain counties in
Maryland.
SBA will open disaster centers across
select counties in the affected areas and review activity levels on a
continuous basis.
Businesses and private nonprofit organizations
may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster damaged or
destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business
assets.
For small businesses, small agricultural
cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private
non-profit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help
meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster
Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any
physical property damage.
Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available
to homeowners to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed real estate.
Homeowners and renters are eligible up to $40,000 to repair or replace disaster
damaged or destroyed personal property.
Interest rates are as low as 1.688 percent
for homeowners and renters, 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4
percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms
are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Survivors may apply online using the
Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
Additional details on the locations of
recovery centers and the loan application process can be obtained by calling
the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and
hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
The filing deadline to return
applications for physical property damage is December 1, 2016. The
deadline to return economic injury applications is also December 1, 2016.
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