ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) encourages businesses and residents of Alabama with damage from the severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes that occurred Jan. 12 to apply to the federal disaster loan program before the March 16 deadline. As of March 10, SBA had approved a total of $6,374,500 in disaster loans.
Businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters in the declared counties are eligible to apply. 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.
The disaster declaration includes Autauga, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Greene, Hale, Mobile, Morgan, Sumter and Tallapoosa counties in Alabama, 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): Baldwin, Bibb, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clay, Cullman, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Washington and Wilcox in Alabama; and George, Greene, Jackson, Kemper, Lauderdale and Noxubee in Mississippi.
SBA is operating three Business Recovery Centers where anyone can get assistance with their disaster loan application, including uploading documents, checking an application’s status, or applying for reconsideration. The centers are open as indicated below:
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Business Recovery Center Autauga County
Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce Prattville, AL 36067
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed: Sunday |
Business Recovery Center Dallas County
GTC Administrative Building Selma, AL 36701
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed: Sunday
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Business Recovery Center Mobile County Williams Chapel Baptist Church – Fellowship Hall Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed: Saturday and Sunday Closing Permanently: 4 p.m. Thursday, March 16 |
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 3.305 percent for businesses, 2.375 percent for nonprofit organizations, and 2.313 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 https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/ and should apply under SBA declaration # 17599.
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 March 16, 2023. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Oct. 16, 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 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.