ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today it will open a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Antietam Pool in Reading, PA, to assist business owners impacted by severe storms and flash flooding on July 9. The Center will close permanently on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at 4 p.m.
SBA Customer Service Representatives will be at the Center to answer questions about the disaster loan program, check an application’s status, upload documents and assist with reconsideration requests.
The hours of operation will be as indicated below.
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Berks County
The Antietam Pool
Reading, PA 19606
Opening: Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Hours: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Closed: Sundays
Closes Permanently: Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, at 4 p.m.
Building back smarter and stronger can be an effective recovery tool for future disasters. Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of 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, elevation, retaining walls, and landscaping to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.
Interest rates are as low as 4 % for businesses, 2.375 % for nonprofit organizations, and 2.5 % for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until twelve months from the date of the first loan disbursement.
Applicants may apply online using the SBA’s secure website at sba.gov/disaster and should apply under SBA declaration # 18207.
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 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 return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 27, 2023. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 28, 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, 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.