SBA Opens Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Slidell

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today the opening of a Disaster Loan Outreach Center in St. Tammany Parish to assist businesses, private nonprofit organizations, and residents affected by Tropical Storm Arthur occurring June 17 - 18.

Beginning Monday, July 20, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Slidell to answer questions and assist with the disaster loan application process. Walk-ins are welcome, and in-person appointments can be scheduled in advance at appointment.sba.gov.

The hours of operation are as follows:

ST. TAMMANY PARISH
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Towers Administration Building, Ste. 2F
520 Old Spanish Trail
Slidell, LA 70458

Opens on Monday, July 20 at 8 a.m.

Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Closes permanently Friday, July 31 at 4 p.m.

The following location is also open and continues to serve survivors:

AVOYELLES PARISH

Business Recovery Center
Plaucheville Community Center
245 LA Hwy. 1181
Plaucheville, LA 71362

Thursday - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

"When disasters strike, SBA's Disaster Loan Outreach Centers perform an important role by assisting small businesses and their communities," said Chris Stallings, Associate Administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at SBA. "At these centers, our SBA specialists help business owners and residents apply for disaster loans and learn about the full range of programs available to support their recovery."

Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their verified physical damage, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.

SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and private nonprofit organizations - including faith-based organizations - with financial losses directly related to the disaster. SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or private nonprofit did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills which could not be paid due to the disaster.

Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.875% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant's financial condition.

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA's Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] 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. 31. The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 30, 2027.

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit https://www.sba.gov.