ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration announced that the disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by Hurricane Fiona that began on Sept. 17, now includes certain Private NonProfit organizations (PNP)s in 24 additional municipalities in Puerto Rico. PNPs that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low-interest disaster loans.
PNPs located in the municipalities of Arecibo, Arroyo, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Camuy, Cayey, Ceiba, Coamo, Corozal, Guanica, Guayama, Guaynabo, Guayanilla, Gurabo, Hormingueros, Juncos, Lajas, Jayuya, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Rincon, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, Toa Alta, Villalba, Utuado, Yabucoa and Yauco in Puerto Rico are eligible to apply. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.
PNP organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The interest rate is 1.875 percent, with terms up to 30 years. 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 safe room or storm shelter, sump pump or French drain to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.
The SBA also offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses for PNP organizations. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the organization suffered any physical property damage.
PNP organizations are urged to contact their municipality’s Emergency Manager to provide information about their organization. The information will be submitted to FEMA to determine eligibility for a Public Assistance grant or whether the PNP should be referred to SBA for disaster loan assistance. Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov/ela/s/ and should apply under SBA declaration # 17649.
Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services), or by sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA’s website 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 submit applications for physical property damage is Nov. 28, 2022. The deadline to submit economic injury applications is June 29, 2023.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. 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 www.sba.gov.