SBA Disaster Aid Surges; Loans Top $30 Million; New Workshops Set to Help Applicants
Release Date: November 13, 2002
Release Number: 1437-126
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Baton Rouge, LA -- State and federal officials announced plans to cease full-scale operations at the two remaining Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Lafayette and Houma and convert the centers to U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan-assistance workshops at 6 p.m. (close-of-business) on Fri. Nov. 15.
The workshops will help the SBA handle the increasing flow of loan applications from Louisianans whose property was damaged by Tropical Storm Isidore and Hurricane Lili. To date, the SBA has mailed more than 43,000 applications for low-interest disaster loans and 11,688 completed applications have been returned for processing. The SBA has approved more than $30 million in disaster loans.
"We understand that many people want expert answers to their financial questions in a convenient, comfortable and confidential face-to-face setting," said SBA spokesperson Michael Lampton. "These workshops are our way of reaching out and filling that need."
The new SBA workshops join three others currently operating in hard-hit parishes. SBA staff experts will help registered applicants fill out low-interest loan applications, answer questions and provide one-to-one program information to residents and businesses.
SBA provides low-interest loans to help homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and nonprofit organizations fund repairs and rebuilding efforts, and to help cover the costs of replacing lost or damaged personal property.
The deadline for submitting applications for physical losses is Dec. 2, 2002. Small business owners interested in applying for economic injury loan assistance may do so until July 3, 2003.
To find out the nearest loan workshop location, registered applicants should call SBA's toll-free number 800-366-6303 (TDD: 817-267-4688).
Parish residents who registered for federal-state assistance are welcome to visit the current DRCs through close-of-business Fri. Nov 15 between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. before they switch to SBA workshops. DRC staff will help to check the status of an application or answer questions. The DRC-new SBA workshops are located at:
Lafayette: Martin Luther King Center, 309 Cora Street, Lafayette, La.; and Terrebonne/Lafourche: Courthouse Annex, 7856 Main St., Suite 100, Houma, La.
Parish residents with questions about their applications should call the FEMA Helpline, 800-621-FEMA, (TTY/TDD) 800-462-7585 between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.
Recovery officials urged everyone who suffered uninsured damages or property losses to their primary residence to register for federal-state assistance at 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Speech or hearing impaired persons should call 800-462-7585 (TTY/TDD).
Last Modified: Tuesday, 22-Apr-2003 16:03:56