7/10/2024

ICYMI: SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Businesses and Residents of Florida 

WASHINGTON – Florida businesses and residents affected by severe storms and flooding that occurred June 11–14, are eligible to apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman announced today.

Administrator Guzman made the loans available in response to a letter from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on June 28 requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA. Businesses and residents in the declared area can now apply for low-interest disaster loans from the SBA.

The declaration covers Broward and Miami-Dade counties and the adjacent counties of Collier, Hendry, Monroe and Palm Beach in Florida.

“The SBA is strongly committed to providing the people of Florida with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist businesses of all sizes, homeowners and renters with federal disaster loans,” said Guzman. “Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”

The SBA will open three Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs) at the locations listed below to assist businesses and residents complete their disaster loan application, accept documents, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Disaster Loan Center in advance. Hours of operations are indicated below.

Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOC)

Broward County

• Oak Lake Community Center
  3190 N 56th Ave
  Hollywood, FL 33021
  
  Opening: Tuesday, July 9, at 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  Hours: Monday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  Tuesday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  Thursday, July 25, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  Closed: Sunday
  Permanently Closes: Monday, July 29 at 4 p.m.

Miami-Dade County

• Northeast-Dade Aventura Branch Library
  2930 NE 199th St
  Aventura, FL 33180
  
  Opening: Tuesday, July 9, at 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  Hours: Wednesday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  Permanently Closes: Saturday, July 13 at 2 p.m.
  
  
• North Dade Regional Library
  2455 NW 183rd St.
  Miami Gardens, FL 30056
  
  Opening: Monday, July 15, at 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  Permanently Closes: Saturday, July 20 at 2 p.m.

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

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Loans up to $500,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future damage.

“The opportunity to include measures to help prevent future damage from occurring is a significant benefit of SBA’s disaster loan program, said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “I encourage everyone to consult their contractors and emergency management mitigation specialists for ideas and apply for an SBA disaster loan increase for funding.”

Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.25% for nonprofit organizations, and 2.688% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and monthly payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Aug. 30, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is April 1, 2025.

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