NEW YORK — Survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey have less than two weeks to register for disaster assistance and to return their applications for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The quickest way to apply for an SBA disaster home or business loan is filling out an online application at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
Ways to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency:
- Online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov
- Via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov
- Call the 24-hour numbers 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585
- For 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) call 800-621-3362
- A FEMA Language Assistance Line is available for those who need interpretation services in languages other than English or Spanish. Call: 866-333-1796.
Survivors must register or return the loan application by the deadline in their state.
Deadline for New York: Monday, Jan. 28, by midnight EST. Counties in NEW YORK designated for individual assistance include: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.
Deadline for New Jersey: Wednesday, Jan. 30, by midnight EST. ALL counties in NEW JERSEY are designated for individual assistance.
U.S. Small Business Administration
SBA is the primary source of federal funds for long-term rebuilding. In most cases, FEMA funds will not cover all of the repair needs of homeowners. Money for a temporary rental home is the form of help FEMA largely provides so obtaining a low-interest SBA disaster loan is a survivor’s best option for repairing their home and replacing property.
People can apply to SBA before settling with their insurance company – so there’s no need to wait. Applying by the deadline can avoid a shortfall in rebuilding money if survivors later discover they are underinsured.
By returning the SBA loan application, homeowners may be eligible for up to $200,000 to repair or replace their storm-damaged home. Homeowners and renters may be eligible for up to $40,000 for replacement of personal property such as clothing, furniture, cars and appliances.
There is no obligation to accept an SBA disaster home loan and homeowners and renters may become eligible for additional FEMA grants if they are not approved for a loan.
For businesses and private nonprofit organizations, the SBA may loan up to $2 million to repair or replace storm-damaged property.
For additional information on SBA, contact the customer service center by calling 800-659-2955
(for people who are deaf or hard of hearing TTY 800-877-8339), emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visiting sba.gov.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA may be able to help with disaster-related costs that are not covered by insurance. Survivors in designated counties are encouraged to apply for possible grant assistance for temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance. People who have sustained a loss due to Hurricane Sandy should register even if they have insurance.
Affected survivors may visit a disaster recovery center for more information about FEMA and SBA assistance. For nearby locations, visit www.fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers.
For more information on Hurricane Sandy recovery, visit:
- General: www.fema.gov/Sandy
- New York: www.fema.gov/SandyNY
- New Jersey: www.fema.gov/SandyNJ
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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.
FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan.
However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.
