SBA Announces Its Mississippi Disaster Loan Center Will Close for Easter

ATLANTA – The  U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today it will temporarily close its Portable Loan Outreach Center (PLOC) in Sharkey County, Miss., on Sunday, April 9, in observance of the Easter holiday. The PLOC will resume its normal operation on Monday, April 10. SBA opened the center to assist Mississippians with applying for a disaster loan for losses from severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes that occurred March 24-25.

The disaster declaration covers Carroll, Humphreys, Montgomery, Monroe, Panola and Sharkey counties in Mississippi, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Attala, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Grenada, Holmes, Issaquena, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Leflore, Lowndes, Quitman, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Washington, Webster, Yalobusha and Yazoo in Mississippi; and Lamar and Marion in Alabama.  

Disaster survivors with insurance should not wait for their settlement before applying to the SBA. The SBA can make a loan for the total loss and use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.

SBA’s friendly Customer Service Representatives can answer questions about the Disaster Loan Program, assist survivors with inputting their application, and upload documents. The centers are open as indicated below:

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 centers are encouraged to wear a face mask.

Applicants may 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 # 17836.

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.

Disaster loan information and application forms can 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 sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Loan applications can also be downloaded from 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 May 25, 2023. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec. 26, 2023. 

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration

Recently, U.S. SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced a policy change granting 12 months of no payments and 0 percent interest. This policy change will benefit disaster survivors and help them to decrease the overall cost of recovery by reducing the amount of accrued interest they must repay. Details are available through the SBA Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. Individuals with verbal or hearing impairments may dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday, or email: DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.

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, 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.