Three DRCs Switch To SBA Workshops After Friday 

Release Date: November 5, 2002
Release Number: 1437-116

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Baton Rouge, LA -- State and federal officials announced plans to convert the fully-staffed New Iberia, New Orleans and Slidell Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) to U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan-assistance workshops at 6 p.m.(close-of-business) on Fri. Nov. 8.

When the switchover is complete, the SBA workshops will focus on providing assistance in filling out SBA low-interest loan applications, answering questions and providing SBA program information to residents and businesses.

Parish residents who registered for federal-state assistance are welcome to visit the DRCs between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to check the status of an application or get questions answered before the centers change to SBA-staffed workshops. The DRCs are located at:

Iberia: City Park Community Center 300 Park View Drive, New Iberia, La.;
Orleans: Municipal Training Academy, 401 City Park Avenue, New Orleans, La.; and
St. Tammany: Towers Bldg. 5th Floor, 520 Old Spanish Trail, Slidell, La.

Two full-service DRCs remain open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., Mon.-Sat. until further notice:
Lafayette: Martin Luther King Center, 309 Cora Street, Lafayette, La.; and
Terrebonne/La Fourche: Courthouse Annex, 7856 Main St., Suite 100, Houma, La.;

There, DRC staff will provide information on available programs, including housing assistance, individual and family grants, SBA low-interest loan applications, business loans, mitigation and other disaster-related programs to help cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.

"These centers provide a wide range of one-to-one disaster services in hard-hit communities and we keep them fully operational as long as we see a distinct need," said Art Jones, state coordinating officer. Jones said more than 4,500 Iberia, Orleans and St. Tammany applicants visited the full-service DRCs in the past four weeks.

Jones said that any 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.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 22-Apr-2003 15:32:18