SBA Opens Additional Disaster Outreach Centers

The U.S. Small Business Administration announces today the opening of three additional Disaster Loan Outreach Centers and one Business Recovery Center on Monday, July 21 at 9 a.m. The locations of the Centers will make it convenient for disaster victims affected by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding of June 5 and continuing to apply for disaster loan assistance. The SBA encourages victims to visit the Centers to apply for assistance.

Victims are urged to register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA). "If you were issued an SBA loan application, complete and return the application to the SBA, even if you don't want a loan. If SBA is not able to approve a home loan, you will be referred to FEMA for possible grant assistance. Anyone who has not completed their disaster loan application is encouraged to meet with one of the SBA representatives at any of the Centers located throughout the disaster area for assistance," said Frank Skaggs, Director of SBA Field Operations Center East.

The locations of the new Centers are listed below and hours of operations as indicated below:

Columbia County

Columbus High School

1164 Farnham Avenue

Columbus, WI 53925

Opens: Monday, July 21 at 9 a.m.

Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.,

until further notice

Grant County

Grant County Law Enforcement

1000 North Adams Street

Lancaster, WI 53813

Opens: Monday, July 21 at 9 a.m.

Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.,

until further notice

Columbia County

Portage High School

301 East Collins Street

Portage, WI 53901

Opens: Monday, July 21 at 9 a.m.

Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.,

until further notice

Fond du Lac County

(Business Recovery Center)

UW Fond du Lac, Room A-127

400 University Avenue

Fond du Lac, WI 54935

Opens: Monday, July 21 at 9 a.m.

Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

until further notice

SBA existing Centers are located in the following communities:

Vernon County

Living Faith Church

852 North Main Street

Viroqua, WI 54665

Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.,

until further notice

Milwaukee County

(Business Recovery Center)

Milwaukee County Facilities Management

10310 West Watertown Plank Road

Wauwatosa, WI 53226

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

until further notice

"Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property," Frank Skaggs added.

Businesses of any size and non-profit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, inventory, machinery and equipment. The SBA also offers mitigation loans to disaster victims based on 20 percent of the verified physical loss. These funds are designed to help borrowers pay for protective measures to minimize damages of the same kind in the future.

For small businesses, and private non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 2.687 percent for homeowners and renters, and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based upon each applicant's financial condition.

Anyone unable to visit one of the Centers may obtain a Disaster Loan application or program information by calling the SBA's Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (or 1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT or by emailing our customer service center at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Business loan applications may be downloaded from http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Applications may be returned to one of the Centers or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76155.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is August 13, 2008. The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 13, 2009.

For more information about the SBA's Disaster Loan Programs, visit our website at http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.