SBA office in Cattaraugus County
The U. S. Small Business Administration, which administers the federal disaster loan program, has opened a disaster loan outreach center at the Cattaraugus County Emergency Services Building to help Western New Yorkers affected by recent severe flooding.
The agency’s customer service representatives are available at the center in Little Valley to issue loan applications, answer questions about the loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their applications.
Residents and businesses that registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency following the flooding in August have received SBA disaster loan applications. Those homeowners and renters who can’t get a loan from SBA may be referred to FEMA for grants but must still submit their SBA loan application even if they don’t want a loan.
Under the disaster program, homeowners can get loans up to $200,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, plus up to $40,000 for homeowners or renters to repair or replace personal property. Businesses and nonprofits can borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace real estate, machinery, equipment, inventory and other business assets.
Economic Injury disaster loans are also available for small businesses and most private nonprofits to help meet working capital needs caused by a disaster, even if the business didn’t suffer physical property damage.
Individuals and businesses are eligible to apply for both physical and “economic injury” disaster loans from the SBA under the federal disaster declarations that covered Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Erie counties. Small businesses and most private nonprofits in Allegany, Genesee, Niagara and Wyoming counties in New York and Erie, McKean and Warren counties in Pennsylvania can also apply for economic injury loans.
Separately, the state Labor Department said last month that people who are unemployed because of the storms and flooding may be eligible for special Disaster Unemployment Payments. The program is funded by the federal government, but eligibility will be determined by the state, which will make the payments.
To apply, people must first file for regular unemployment insurance by calling the department’s toll-free telephone line at (888) 209-8124, selecting the option to file a new claim, and telling the representative that the filing is due to the August storms.
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