SBA Disaster Loan Applications Essential to Aid
Release Date: June 26, 2007
Release Number: 1699-043
» More Information on Kansas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
WICHITA, Kan. -- Many Kansans who registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster assistance following the severe storms, flooding and tornadoes of May 4-18 will receive a packet of information that may include a disaster loan application from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Individuals should complete these loan applications even if they do not want a loan. Applicants who do not return their SBA applications will not be considered for other FEMA assistance. Information provided in the SBA loan application helps to determine the type of assistance an applicant is eligible to receive. Returning a completed SBA application quickly is vital to providing assistance in a timely manner. Applicants who do not qualify for an SBA loan may be eligible to receive other assistance.
"Kansans should register with FEMA and return the SBA application so that we can determine and provide all of the disaster assistance eligible applicants are entitled to," said FEMA's Michael L. Karl, coordinating officer for the Kansas disaster.
Individuals who have registered with FEMA can check the status of their applications and get answers to questions by visiting a Disaster Recovery Center or by calling 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with special speech or hearing needs. Registration can also be completed online at: www.fema.gov.
Kansas counties eligible for Individual Assistance are: Barton, Clay, Cloud, Comanche, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellsworth, Kiowa, Leavenworth, Lyon, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Riley, Saline, Shawnee and Stafford.
The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance is July 5. The deadline to return an SBA application is also July 5.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers low interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations for losses not fully covered by insurance. These loans are at low interest rates and long terms that make the loans affordable to almost any budget. The SBA may loan up to $200,000 to repair homes, up to $40,000 to replace disaster-damaged personal property and a maximum of $1.5 million is available for businesses.
SBA representatives are at all of the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) to meet individually with each resident or business owner to answer any questions about SBA's disaster loan program, help them complete their SBA disaster loan application and accept their completed applications. Anyone not able to go to a DRC should call the SBA Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 for SBA information and assistance or visit the SBA website at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, economic status or retaliation. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, you should call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or contact your State Office of Equal Rights. If you are suspicious of any abuse of FEMA programs, please contact the Fraud hotline at 1-800-323-8603.
SBA is the federal government's primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 27-Jun-2007 07:59:34