ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that its Business Recovery Center in Westchester County will be closed for the holidays on two Fridays: Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. SBA is reminding businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters of the Jan. 4 deadline to apply for physical damage disaster loans for damages caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida on Sept. 1-3, 2021.
Businesses, homeowners, renters and private nonprofit organizations in the New York counties of Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester are eligible to apply for physical disaster loans and for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties may apply for EIDLs only: Columbia, New York, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster in New York; Fairfield and Litchfield in Connecticut; Berkshire in Massachusetts; Bergen, Passaic and Sussex in New Jersey; and Pike in Pennsylvania.
The Business Recovery Center (BRC) is a great resource for disaster survivors who want to discuss SBA’s disaster loan program and get one-on-one assistance in submitting a disaster loan application. The BRC’s final day of operation is Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
The SBA’s Business Recovery Center is open as indicated below:
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Business Recovery Center (BRC) Westchester County Open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed: Saturday and Sunday Closing permanently: Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022 |
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the SBA has established protocols to help protect the health and safety of the public. All visitors to the BRC are encouraged to wear a face mask.
“I encourage anyone who has not completed their disaster loan application to visit the Business Recovery Center before it closes on Jan. 4 to meet with a Customer Service Representative for one-on-one assistance,” said Kem Fleming, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East.
Orange County residents and businesses unable to meet the Jan. 4 deadline should provide a statement on their application explaining they are filing late due to the recent inclusion of Orange County in the declaration.
Businesses of all sizes 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 nonprofit 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 for up to $40,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property.
Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a sump pump, elevation, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.
Interest rates are as low as 2.855 percent for businesses, 2 percent for nonprofit organizations, and 1.563 percent for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/, and should apply under SBA declaration # 17147, not for the COVID-19 incident.
To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, applicants should register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA mobile app. If online or mobile access is unavailable, applicants should call the FEMA toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services should call 800-621-3362.
Businesses and individuals may also obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Loan applications can also be downloaded at sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Jan. 4, 2022. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 6, 2022.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit sba.gov.