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SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Residents of Alabama Affected by Severe Storm, Strong Winds and Tornado

WASHINGTON – Alabama businesses and residents affected by the severe storm, strong winds and tornado on Feb. 2-3, 2016, can apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet announced today.

Contreras-Sweet made the loans available in response to a letter from Gov. Robert Bentley on Feb. 12, requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA.  The declaration covers Pickens County and the adjacent counties of Fayette, Greene, Lamar, Sumter and Tuscaloosa in Alabama; and Lowndes and Noxubee counties in Mississippi.

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

SBA’s customer service representatives will be available at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center to answer questions about the disaster loan program and help individuals complete their applications.

The Centers are located in the following community and are open as indicated:

Pickens County

Aliceville City Hall

419 Memorial Parkway NE

Aliceville, Alabama  35442

 

Opening:     Tues. Feb. 23 at 8 a.m.

Days:           Tues. Feb. 23 to Fri. Feb. 26

Hours:         8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closing:       Fri. Feb. 26 at 5 p.m.

 

Pickens County

Aliceville Public Library

416 3rd Avenue NE

Aliceville, Alabama 35442

 

Opening: Sat. Feb. 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Closed:    Sun. Feb. 28; Sat. & Sun. March 5 & 6

Days:       Mon. Feb. 29 to Tues. March 8, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thurs. March 3, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Wed. March 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Closing:  Wed. March 9  at 3 p.m.

 

“Businesses and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets,” said SBA’s Alabama District Director Tom Todt.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster.  Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

“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 Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes.  Some eligible mitigation improvements may now include a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.

Interest rates are as low as 4 percent for businesses, 2.625 percent for nonprofit organizations, and 1.813 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years.  Loan amount 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://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Individuals and businesses may also obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov (link sends e-mail). Loan applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov/disaster. 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.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is April 18, 2016.  The deadline to return economic injury applications is Nov. 18, 2016.

For more information about the SBA’s Disaster Loan Program, visit our website at www.sba.gov/disaster.

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Release Number: 16-220
Release Date: Friday, February 19, 2016 – 5:00pm
Contact: Michael Lampton
Related State: Alabama
Field Operations Center: East
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