Published: November 09, 2009 05:31 pm      

Indiana’s request for disaster loans granted

Low-interest loans available for residents, businesses, nonprofits

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels on Monday received word that the U.S. Small Business Administration granted his request for an SBA disaster declaration for Clark, Floyd and Jennings county residents and businesses affected by the severe weather Aug. 4-9.

SBA offers low-interest loans up to $200,000 to qualified homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, a press release says.

For small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. That assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Businesses and nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.

The SBA also provides mitigation funds to disaster victims based on 20 percent of the verified physical damage. These funds are designed to help borrowers pay for protective measures to minimize damage of the same kind in the future.

The declaration also covers the adjacent counties of Bartholomew, Decatur, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Ripley, Scott and Washington in Indiana, and the counties of Jefferson, Oldham and Trimble in Kentucky.

Individuals and businesses may obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 — 800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired — Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Business loan applications also can be downloaded from the SBA Web site atwww.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance

Victims may apply for disaster loans at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Jan 5. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Aug. 6.

More information will be coming about SBA’s temporary Disaster Loan Outreach Center locations, where applicants can get answers to questions about the SBA’s disaster loan program, explanations about the application process and help completing their applications.

— Staff reports