[StBernard] Residents can apply for SBA Assistance

[Westley Annis]

                GETTING DISASTER HELP FROM SBA

 

St. Bernard Parish residents can apply for SBA loans to pay for repair or replacement costs not fully covered by insurance or other compensation.  Application deadline for Physical Damage is October 30, 2012 and Economic Injury is May 29, 2013.

 

WHAT TYPES OF DISASTER LOANS ARE AVAILABLE?

 

Home Disaster Loans – Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate or personal property owned by the victim. Renters are eligible for their personal property losses, including automobiles. 

 

Business Physical Disaster Loans – Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible. 

 

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) – Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period. 

 

EIDL assistance is available only to entities and their owners who cannot provide for their own recovery from non-government sources, as determined by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

 

♦ If you are a homeowner or renter, FEMA may refer you to SBA. SBA disaster loans are the primary source of money to pay for repair or replacement costs not fully covered by insurance or other compensation. 

 

♦ SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, non-profit organizations. 

 

♦ Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace their primary residence. 

 

♦ Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $40,000 to replace personal property. 

 

♦ Businesses may borrow up to $2 million for any combination of property damage or economic injury. 

 

♦ SBA offers low-interest working capital loans (called Economic Injury Disaster Loans) to small businesses, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private, nonprofit organizations of all sizes having difficulty meeting obligations as a result of the disaster. 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

 

♦ Begin by registering with FEMA, if you haven’t already done so, call (800) 621-3362. 

 

♦ Homeowners and renters should submit their SBA disaster loan application, even if they are not sure if they will need or want a loan. If SBA cannot approve your application, in most cases they refer you to FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance (ONA) program for possible additional assistance. 

 

THREE WAYS TO APPLY TO SBA

 

♦ Apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure Web site at: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. 

 

♦ Apply in person at St. Bernard Civic Center, 3220 Jean Lafitte Parkway in Chalmette and receive personal, one-on-one help from an SBA representative. For additional information or to find a location near you visit our Web site at: http://www.sba.gov/content/current-disaster-declarations or call SBA at (800) 659-2955. Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may call (800) 877-8339.  Hours at the Civic Center are 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.

 

♦ Apply by mail: complete a paper application and mail it to SBA at: 14925 Kingsport Rd., Ft. Worth, TX 76155-2243.