SBA Opens Disaster Loan Outreach Center to assist victims of last July’s floods

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in New York to assist businesses and residents with losses due to the flash flooding that occurred last July.

The declaration covers Ontario and Orange counties and the adjacent counties of Dutchess, Livingston, Monroe, Putnam, Rockland, Seneca, Steuben, Sullivan, Ulster, Wayne, Westchester and Yates in New York; Passaic and Sussex in New Jersey and Pike in Pennsylvania.

Customer service representatives at SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers will help 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 Recovery Center in advance.

The Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Orange County is at the Village of Highland Falls Senior Center, located at 15 Drew Ave. in Highland Falls. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The center closes permanently at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 12.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July 15. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 18, 2025.

Orange County residents, businesses, and non-profits can schedule in-person appointments in advance at appointment.sba.gov. Walk-ins are also accepted. Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at 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.

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. This 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.

Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 2.375% for nonprofit organizations, and 2.5% 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.