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Buchanan Road near Shelby was one of several Oceana County roads flooded last month due to heavy rain and melting snow.
– Oceana County Road Commission photo.
Businesses, residents affected by recent flooding can apply for loans.
#OceanaCountyNews
Oceana businesses and residents affected by severe weather and flooding, March 14, can apply for low-interest disaster loans from the US Small Business Administration, Administrator Linda McMahon recently announced.
McMahon made the loans available in response to a letter from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer April 3, requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA. In addition to Oceana, the declaration covers Newaygo, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon and Osceola counties.
“The SBA is strongly committed to providing the people of Michigan with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist businesses of all sizes, homeowners and renters with federal disaster loans,” said McMahon. “Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”
SBA’s Customer Service Representatives will be available at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center to answer questions about the disaster loan program and help individuals complete their applications.
The local center is located at the Fremont Community Recreation Center, 201 E. Maple St., Fremont. It will be open Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Monday through Thursday, April 8-11, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Friday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 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 to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.
Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.
Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase 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 caused by a similar disaster.
Interest rates are as low as 4 percent for businesses, 2.75 percent for nonprofit organizations, and 2.063 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amount and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov.
Businesses and individuals may also obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s customer service center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be returned to the center or mailed to: US Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is June 3, 2019. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 6, 2020.
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