The Small Business Administration will establish a disaster loan outreach center in New Bethlehem to assist anyone affected by the July 19 floods in Clarion County.
“Homeowners, renters and businesses impacted by the flooding in Clarion County, as well as neighboring counties Armstrong, Butler, Forest, Jefferson and Venango, may be eligible for low interest disaster loans through the SBA disaster loan programs,” a press release from the Clarion County commissioners said.
Low-interest loans of up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. SBA regulations permit loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property.
Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial qualifications.
The outreach center will be located at the New Bethlehem fire hall at 425 Arch St. It will open at 11 a.m. Tuesday and remain open through Thursday, Sept. 5. The center will be closed Sunday, Sept. 1, and no one from the county was able to indicate whether it would be open on Labor Day, Sept. 2.
SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the center to issue loan applications, answer questions about the disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their applications.
Individuals and businesses unable to visit the centers in person may obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s customer service center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Completed applications should be returned to the local DLOC or mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76155.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Oct. 21. The deadline to return economic injury disaster loan applications is May 20.