HURRICANE HELENE RESOURCES

CSRA BUSINESS LENDINGWe are pleased to announce that the SBA has partnered with CSRA Business Lending and the CSRA Regional Commission (our local counsel of governments we are affiliated with) to open an Augusta SBA Business Disaster Recovery Center starting today at our offices at 3626 Walton Way Extension, Suite 1, Augusta, Georgia 30909. “SBA’s mission-driven team stands ready to help small businesses and residents in Georgia impacted by this disaster,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman in a statement announcing the opening. “We’re committed to providing federal disaster loans swiftly and efficiently, with a customer-centric approach to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild.”

“We are very appreciative to Administrator Guzman and SBA Georgia District Director, Terri Denison, for partnering with our organization and swiftly opening this center so our businesses and our community can obtain disaster loan assistance directly here at our office in Augusta as they recover from this disaster,” said Randy Griffin, President of CSRA Business Lending.

The Augusta SBA Business Recovery Center will be open starting today from 9 until 6 (Monday through Friday) and from 9 until 4 on Saturday. SBA Disaster Loan Specialists will be available in CSRA’s offices to assist business owners, farmers, homeowners, and renters with applications for low interest disaster loans to assist in recovering from Hurricane Helene. The Augusta SBA Business Disaster Recovery Center joins similar centers in Statesboro and Valdosta that have now also opened (with more planned). SBA is also opening centers in five other states as well to respond to the Hurricane Helene Disaster. Appointments at our office and the other centers can be booked online on the SBA disaster website or walk ins at our office are also accepted.

TWO IMPORTANT TIPS TO APPLY FOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE (whether applying in person or online):

1) Business owners need to have on hand to scan (or bring with them) their last three years business tax returns (complete copies).

2) Every owner/applicant (even if married) MUST have their own email address for document exchange and electronic document signing.

Remember online applications are also being accepted and encouraged.

CLICK HERE– To go directly to the SBA Georgia Disaster Application website and apply online.

On Monday, the SBA Georgia disaster deceleration was expanded to add nine (9) additional counties to the primary eligibility and fifteen (15) other counties to the secondary eligibility for assistance. The updated counties now eligible for SBA disaster loans are:

Georgia Primary Counties (Eligible for both Physical Damage and EIDL Loans – DARK BLUE): Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Glynn, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, Montgomery, Newton, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Washington, Wayne, and Wheeler;

Georgia Contiguous Counties (Eligible for EIDL Loans Only – (GRAY): Baldwin, Bleckley, Brantley, Dodge, Habersham, Hancock, Hart, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Madison, McIntosh, Mitchell, Monroe, Morgan, Oglethorpe, Rockdale, Spalding, Thomas, Towns, Turner, Twiggs, Walton, Warren, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson, and Worth

South Carolina Counties Surrounding Augusta (Gray): Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Barnwell, Edgefield, Hampton, Jasper, McCormick, and Oconee.

Visit the Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia disaster pages on SBA’s website for eligible counties in those states.

There are three types of low interest rate loans that are now available:

• Business Physical Disaster Loans – Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.

• Business Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) – Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.

• Home Disaster Loans – Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles.

CLICK HERE – For an SBA Georgia Disaster Declaration Fact Sheet of Loans, Rates, and Terms.

CLICK HERE – For a Summary of Loans for Businesses for Physical Damages and Losses

CLICK HERE – For a Summary of Loans for Businesses for Economic Injury Disaster Loans for Working Capital Needed Due to Disaster

CLICK HERE – For a Summary of Loans for Homeowners and Renters for Physical Damage

Please pass this email along to your business and personal contacts that you know have suffered losses during Hurricane Helene who may benefit from these programs or who may want to visit the Augusta SBA Business Recovery Center (or another center) and speak with an SBA Loan Specialist. .

CSRA Business lending will provide further program updates from SBA as they become available.