SBA offers disaster assistance loans to local residents and businesses affected by winter weather and flooding

Grays Harbor and Pacific county have access to low-interest federal disaster loans available for local businesses and residents affected by the winter weather and flooding. 

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the loan availability for Grays Harbor, Pacific, Cowlitz, Lewis, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston, Wahkiakum and Yakima counties.

SBA declared a disaster in response to a request SBA received from Gov. Jay Inslee on Feb. 14, 2022. The declaration makes the SBA assistance available.  

“SBA’s mission-driven team stands ready to help Washington’s small businesses and residents impacted by the winter weather and flooding,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. “We’re committed to providing federal disaster loans swiftly and efficiently, with a customer-centric approach to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild.”

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future. 

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.

Interest rates can be as low as 2.83 percent for businesses, 1.875 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 1.438 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. 

SBA has opened a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the Lewis County Courthouse to answer questions and assist with the application process. 

The center will be open on the days and times indicated below. No appointment is necessary.

LEWIS COUNTY
Disaster Loan Outreach Center
Lewis County Courthouse
351 NW North St., Room 121
Chehalis, WA  98532
Opens 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 17
Mondays – Fridays, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closes 5 p.m. Thursday, March 3
Center closed for President’s Day, Monday, Feb. 21

Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/.

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. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX  76155. 

The deadline to apply for property damage is April 18, 2022. The deadline to apply for economic injury is Nov. 15, 2022.