ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration reminds homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profit organizations located in Puerto Rico that the deadline to return applications for physical damage caused by Hurricane Irene is only one week away. The filing deadline to return applications for physical damage is Nov. 25, 2011.
Survivors are encouraged to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency at 800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585 and return completed applications to SBA by the deadline. Homeowners and renters unable to obtain an SBA low-interest disaster loan may be referred to FEMA for grant consideration. SBA’s customer service representatives will be on hand at the Disaster Recovery Centers located throughout the area to provide one-on-one assistance to survivors in completing their applications.
The SBA has approved over $5 million in Disaster Assistance Loans for residents and business owners in Puerto Rico. “Currently, 376 home and business disaster loans have been approved in the amount of $5,247,700 for affected survivors,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta. “We are pleased to be able to get these loans approved so residents and businesses in the disaster area can continue rebuilding and resuming their normal lives.”
For assistance, call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan application forms can be downloaded from www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be returned to one of the Centers or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
Those affected by the disaster may also apply for disaster loans electronically from SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical damage is November 25, 2011. The deadline to return economic injury applications is May 28, 2012.
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For more information about the SBA’s Disaster Loan Program, visit our website at www.sba.gov.