SBA Corrects Hours for Cook County Business Recovery Center in Illinois

ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting the hours for its Cook County Business Recovery Center in Chicago, Il. It will operate at the SBA District Office, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; and is closed Saturday and Sunday. A press release on Aug. 16 listed the hours incorrectly.

SBA will open its Business Recovery Center at 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 18, at the SBA District Office in Chicago to assist Illinoisans with applying for SBA disaster loans for losses due to severe storms and flooding that occurred June 29 through July 2, 2023.

The disaster declaration covers Cook County in Illinois, 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): DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will in Illinois; and Lake in Indiana.   

SBA’s Customer Service Representatives are available to assist business owners and residents as indicated below until further notice:

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 # 18075.

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 Oct. 16, 2023. The deadline to return economic injury applications is May 15, 2024.

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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.