ATLANTA – Teams from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience are going door-to-door to contact survivors of the severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that began July 7. They are notifying Vermont businesses damaged by the storms that they are eligible to apply for SBA low-interest disaster loans.
“Many of the forms of communication we rely on are still recovering, and we want to be sure we are reaching everyone who might benefit from the low-interest disaster loans we offer,” Kem Fleming, Director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East, said. “Our people will be able to answer many questions on the spot, without the business owner having to go to a Center or call a help line.”
Teams of two started visiting communities Wednesday, July 26. Team members will be wearing SBA Disaster Assistance shirts or jackets, have Federal ID cards with their name, photo and SBA logo on them, and will not hesitate to produce their IDs if requested. Survivors will be asked for their names, and the names of the owners of the damaged properties but will not be asked for any personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers or date of birth by these outreach teams. That information should only be provided when applying online or when visiting a recovery center.
The disaster declaration covers Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor counties in Vermont 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): Addison, Bennington, Essex, Franklin, and Grand Isle in Vermont; Franklin in Massachusetts; Cheshire, Grafton, and Sullivan in New Hampshire; and Clinton, Essex, and Washington in New York.
Applicants may apply via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/ and should apply under SBA declaration # 18016.
Disaster loan information and application forms can be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services) or sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Loan applications can 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.
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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.