ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is closing its Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Fitchburg on Friday, June 14, at 5 p.m. The new BRC will open in the Leominster Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday, June 18, at 9 a.m. Visitors are asked to enter on the right side of the building. SBA reminds businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters in Massachusetts affected by the storms and flooding severe on Sept. 11-13, 2023, to apply for physical damage disaster loans by the July 15 deadline.
The SBA opened its BRCs to help businesses and others with damages covered under the President’s major disaster declaration apply for low-interest disaster loans. SBA’s Customer Service Representatives are available at the centers to answer questions, assist business owners with their disaster loan application, accept documents, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-ins are accepted, but survivors can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Disaster Recovery Center in advance. The Business Recover Centers operate as follows:
Business Recovery Center (BRC)
Bristol County
Bristol County Community College
2 Hamilton Street
Taunton, MA 02780
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed: Saturday and Sunday
Closed Wednesday, June 19 for Juneteenth Holiday
Business Recovery Center (BRC)
Worcester County
North Central Chamber of Commerce
860 South St.
Fitchburg, MA 01420
Closed Permanently Friday, June 14, at 5 p.m.
Business Recovery Center (BRC)
Worcester County
Leominster EMA/EOC
37 Carter Street
Leominster, MA 01453
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Closed: Saturday and Sunday
Opening Tuesday, June 18, at 9 a.m.
Closed Wednesday, June 19 for Juneteenth Holiday
All Centers are closed for the Juneteenth Holiday.
Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 2.375% for nonprofit organizations, and 2.5% for homeowners and renters, with terms of up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and monthly payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.
With the physical disaster loan application deadline approaching, SBA advises survivors with insurance they should not wait for their settlement before applying for physical damage. The SBA can make a loan for the total loss and use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.
The disaster declaration covers Bristol and Worcester counties, 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): Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk and Plymouth counties in Massachusetts; Tolland and Windham counties in Connecticut; Cheshire and Hillsborough New Hampshire; and in Bristol, Newport and Providence counties in Rhode Island.
With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for long-term recovery, to make survivors whole and get them back to their pre-disaster condition. Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant, apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.
Applicants may send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July 15, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 18, 2025.
###
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.