In Jackson, Miss., the U.S. Small Business Administration is offering emergency loans to businesses in Hinds County and seven neighboring counties to help address the capital’s water crisis. He opened an office. Other counties that can apply at the office include Claiborne, Copiah, Madison, Rankin, Simpson, Warren and Yazoo counties.
The SBA Business Recovery Center, located in the Chamber of Commerce Building, will be open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm at 201 S. President St., Jackson. It will close at 2pm on Saturday, October 1, 2022, although businesses can apply for loans online until June 14, 2023.
A September 15, 2022 news release states, “Applicants may submit an electronic loan application online at SBA’s secure site at DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov/ela/s and must apply under SBA Statement #17621, not for a COVID-19 event,” said a September 15, 2022 news release. Loan terms include an “acceptable” credit history and ability to repay the loan.
SBA Mississippi District Director Janita R. Stewart said in a news release that the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans, or EIDLs, to qualified applicants to “meet working capital needs caused by the disaster.” Mississippi-based small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small water resource businesses and private nonprofits are eligible, according to the press release.
The recent water crisis in Jackson began on July 29, 2022, when the City of Jackson posted a boil water advisory. A city-wide water pressure drop followed. Businesses felt the impact of the crisis with increasing operating costs and declining customer base. On September 15, 2022, Reves announced that the hot water notice had been removed following remedial efforts by federal and state agencies.
USSBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said in a September 15, 2022 press release that “SBA’s mission-driven team is ready to assist small businesses and private nonprofits in Hinds County affected by the Jackson water crisis.”
“We are committed to providing federal disaster loans quickly and efficiently with a customer-centric approach to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild,” she added.
In a statement on September 14, 2022, requesting the SBA’s statement to make disaster loans available, he said low-interest loans would help businesses recover from the recent crisis.
“Many businesses in Hinds County, including the City of Jackson, have experienced economic losses following the August 2022 Pearl River flood due to a partial or complete loss of water pressure. “They don’t serve, clean, freeze or sanitize, forcing them to lose money or close down temporarily,” he said.
“People who have suffered economic losses should take comfort that the SBA is now ready to move quickly to provide federal disaster assistance,” said Disaster Assistance Office Associate Administrator Francisco Sanchez Jr. in a press release on Saturday.
Loan terms include an interest rate of 3.04% for businesses and a rate of 1.875% for nonprofits for up to 30 years. “Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial situation,” the SBA added.
SBA economic disaster disaster loans can provide up to $2 million to Jackson businesses to “assist with financial obligations and operating expenses that would have been met had the disaster not occurred,” the agency’s website says. That limit can be waived if a business is the primary source of employment, the SBA says.
The organization offers options for the deaf and hard of hearing to call 800-877-2955 for assistance. Others should contact the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. Loan applications can be downloaded at sba.gov/disaster, and completed applications must be returned to the center or mailed to the following address.
America’s Small Business Administration, Processing and Payment Center
14925 Kingsport Road
Fort Worth, TX 76155
See Mississippi Free Press Complete Jackson water-crisis coverageFrom March 2021.
