Disaster Recovery Centers In Richland County Transitioning To SBA Loan Centers 

Release Date: September 20, 2007
Release Number: 1720-033

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FINDLAY, Ohio -- In Richland County, DRCs are turning into DLOCs.

Two Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Richland County are transitioning to U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs).

Until they close, both centers will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Shelby center is located at the Shelby YWCA, 111 W. Smiley Ave.; the Mansfield center is located at the Braintree Center for Business Innovation, 201 E. 5th St.

SBA customer service representatives will maintain DLOCs in the same locations in both Shelby and Mansfield. Their hours of operation will be 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. SBA customer service representatives will continue to assist homeowners and businesses of all sizes in filling out long-term, low-interest loan applications.

Since they began opening Aug. 31, the DRCs have been visited by more than 3,100 people from throughout the eight counties receiving a federal disaster declaration - Allen, Crawford, Hancock, Hardin, Putnam, Richland, Seneca and Wyandot. Lately, however, visits to the centers have been decreasing.

"The reduced level of activity at the centers means we are moving forward in the recovery process," said State Coordinating Officer Nancy Dragani of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. "Now we're starting to focus more attention on long-term recovery needs."

Those who still have questions about grants or low-interest disaster loans and those who want to register for assistance can call the FEMA toll free at 1-800-621-FEMA or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired, or go online at www.fema.gov. Phone lines are open 8 a.m. to  p.m. (EDT) every day.

"It's important for people to know that even though these sites are closing, the first step to register for assistance is still the same," said Federal Coordinating Officer Jesse Munoz of FEMA. "We urge anyone who's been impacted by the storms and floods to register right away."

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: Thursday, 20-Sep-2007 09:26:06