ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will temporarily close its Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Chattooga County on Monday, Jan. 16, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. It will resume normal operations at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17. The SBA established the Center to help anyone to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans for damages due to flooding on Sept. 3-4.
The declaration covers Chattooga County and the adjacent counties of Floyd and Walker in Georgia, and Cherokee and DeKalb counties in Alabama. Affected businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters are eligible to apply.
By visiting the Disaster Loan Outreach Center, applicants can meet one-on-one with SBA Customer Service Representatives for answers to questions and help with submitting their loan applications. The SBA’s Center is open as indicated below until Jan. 26, 2023:
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Disaster Loan Outreach Center Chattooga County EMA/E-911 Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed: Sundays Holiday Closure: Monday, Jan. 16 for MLK Day Closes Permanently: Thursday, Jan. 26 at 4 p.m.
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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 BRCs are encouraged to wear a face mask.
Interest rates are as low as 3.04 percent for businesses, 1.875 percent for nonprofit organizations, and 2.188 percent for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov/ela/s and should apply under SBA declaration # 17751.
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 March 10, 2023. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Oct 9, 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 pertains to all disaster loans approved in response to disasters declared on or after Sept. 21, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2023. 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.