SBA Applications – An Important Link To Recovery 

Release Date: March 14, 2007
Release Number: 1687-016

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The tornadoes and severe storms of March 1 left hundreds of Alabama residents with destroyed or damaged dwellings, vehicles, appliances, furniture, clothing and other personal property. Personal insurance is the first source of recovery to repair or replace lost or damaged property. For those who are uninsured or underinsured for their storm-related losses, help may be available through federal agency grant and loan programs.

Homeowners who need additional financing and business owners with storm-related property losses may be eligible for low-interest, long-term disaster loans through the Small Business Administration (SBA). Many residents who register with the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency will be requested to complete SBA loan forms.

“SBA loan applications are a critical component of disaster relief,” said Gracia Szczech, FEMA federal coordinating officer. “I urge everyone who receives an SBA disaster loan application to complete and return it.”

“People who don’t complete their SBA disaster loan applications and return them by the deadline have no more federal aid available to them,” said SBA Public Information Officer Greg Dawson.

“If a homeowner or renter does not qualify for a loan, he or she may then be considered for a grant from FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program,” Szczech said. “FEMA determines eligibility for these grants only after an applicant’s SBA loan application is evaluated. That’s why it’s so important that everyone who has uninsured disaster losses complete their SBA application.”

Following a federally declared disaster, the SBA may provide low-interest, long-term loans to renters, homeowners, businesses and nonprofit organizations to repair or replace disaster damaged real estate and personal property. The SBA can loan up to $200,000 to repair primary residences and up to $40,000 to replace disaster-damaged personal property. Loans of up to $1.5 million are available for businesses. Terms are up to 30 years.

“We urge anyone — renters, homeowners and business owners alike — who sustained property losses because of the storms to apply for assistance and mail in the completed SBA loan application as soon as possible,” said Bruce Baughman, State Coordinating Officer. “If you don’t return your loan application, you could lose out on assistance that may be available to you.”

There is an SBA representative at each of the Disaster Recovery Centers who can help residents complete their SBA disaster loan applications. Applications can be submitted at the centers. Those who apply to FEMA by phone or on the Internet will receive their SBA disaster loan applications in the mail. Applicants can get help filling out their applications by calling the SBA Help Line at (800) 659-2955.

The counties eligible for Individual Assistance under the presidential declaration for the March 1 severe storms and tornadoes are Coffee, Wilcox, Henry, Dale, Montgomery and Dallas.

People who have questions about their application, or who want to register for disaster assistance by phone, may call FEMA’s toll-free number, (800) 621-FEMA (3362). Those with speech or hearing impairment may call TTY (800) 462-7585. These phone lines are open from 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. CDT, Monday-Friday. Registration is also available on the Internet at www.fema.gov.

Information on SBA disaster loan applications is available by calling the toll-free SBA disaster customer service center at (800) 659-2955, or by visiting the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster.

Disaster Recovery Centers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 days-a-week, until further notice, at the following locations:

COFFEE COUNTY
Enterprise Recreation Ctr.
421 East Lee Street
Enterprise, Alabama

Pleasant Shade Baptist Church
1891 Damascus Road
Enterprise, Alabama

WILCOX COUNTY
East Bank Park
7433 Hwy 28 West
Miller’s Ferry, Alabama

HENRY COUNTY
County Shop
1023 County Rd. 53
Abbeville, Alabama

DALE COUNTY
Echo Community Bldg.
8714 E. County Rd. 36
Echo, Alabama

MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Volunteer Fire Dept.
153 County Shop Rd.,
Hwy 331 South
Sprague, Alabama

DALLAS COUNTY
Town Hall
14761 Main St.
Orville, Alabama

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

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 suspicious of any abuse of FEMA programs, please contact the fraud hotline at 1-800-323-8603.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 14-Mar-2007 11:20:36