SBA Offering Disaster Assistance to Businesses

Press Release

Washington, D.C. -- Residents and businesses affected by severe storms and flooding that occurred Aug. 4-9 in southeastern Indiana can apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills announced today.

On November 4, Administrator Mills made the loans available in response to a representative of the Gov. Mitch Daniels requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA. The declaration covers Clark, Floyd and Jennings counties and the adjacent counties of Bartholomew, Decatur, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Ripley, Scott and Washington in Indiana; and Jefferson, Oldham and Trimble in Kentucky.

“The SBA is strongly committed to providing the people of Indiana with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes with federal disaster loans,” said Administrator Mills. “Getting our businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”

“Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s disaster Field Operations Center in Atlanta. SBA’s customer service representatives will be on hand at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center to issue loan applications, answer questions about the SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their applications.

The Centers will be located in the following communities and will open as indicated:

Clark County
Clarksville Town Hall
Emergency Management
Executive Conference Room (2nd Floor)

Floyd County
Floyd County Emergency Management
1613 East Spring Street
Suite #4
New Albany, IN 47150

Jennings County
Jennings County Emergency Management
1001 Rodgers Park Drive
North Vernon, IN 47265

Opens: Friday, November 13, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Hours: Saturday, November 14, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm; Closed Sunday, November 15
Monday, November 16 – Thursday, November 19, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Closes: Thursday, November 19, at close of business

“Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets,” said Gail Gesell, SBA’s Indiana district director.

The SBA also provides mitigation funds to disaster victims up to 20 percent of the verified physical damage. These funds are designed to help borrowers pay for protective measures to minimize damages of the same kind in the future.

For small businesses and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 2.750 percent for homeowners and renters, and 4 percent for businesses, with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Individuals and businesses unable to visit the Centers in person may obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Business loan applications can also be downloaded from the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be returned to the Center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Indianans may apply for disaster loans from SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is January 5, 2010. The deadline to return economic injury applications is August 6, 2010.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration