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SBA Disaster Assistance Available to Private Non-Profit Organizations in West Virginia

PNPs located in Boone, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, McDowell, Mingo, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Ritchie, Roane, and Wyoming counties in West Virginia are eligible to apply to SBA. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

PNP organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The SBA also offers mitigation funds to disaster victims based on 20 percent of the verified physical damage. These funds are designed to help borrowers pay for protective measures to minimize damages of the same kind in the future.

The SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses to PNP organizations of all sizes. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 3 percent with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant's financial condition.

"PNP organizations are urged to contact their county emergency managers to obtain information about local briefings. At the meeting, PNP representatives will need to provide information about their organization," said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA Field Operations Center East.

This information will be used to submit a "Request for Public Assistance" which FEMA uses to determine if the PNP provides an essential governmental service and meets the definition of a "critical facility." Based upon that conclusion, FEMA will either refer the PNP to SBA for disaster loan assistance or possibly provide a "Public Assistance" reimbursement grant for eligible costs.

Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA's Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing-impaired) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also be downloaded from www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

PNPs may visit SBA's secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ to apply for disaster loans.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is May 3, 2010. The deadline to return economic injury applications is December 2, 2010.

For more information about the SBA's Disaster Loan Programs, visit our Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.

Release Number: 10-262, WV 12064/12065

U.S. Small Business Administration
Mark Ihenacho, 404-331-0333