Registration for Sandy-Related Assistance from FEMA or SBA Ends This Friday

We are writing with a critical reminder that the deadline for applying for Superstorm Sandy-related assistance - in the form of either a FEMA Individual Assistance Loan or a Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan - is this Friday, March 1, 2013.

In a letter this week to the Commissioners of the NJ Department of Community Affairs, the NJ Economic Development Authority, and the NJ Chamber of Commerce, Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg issued the following reminder:

“Not only is it important for businesses seeking loans to apply as quickly as possible to avoid missing the deadline, but registering for SBA loans is essential for obtaining a grant later under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and may actually increase the amount of funding for which New Jersey businesses affected by Sandy could be eligible in the future.”

The letter states that although efforts are underway to extend the FEMA and SBA registration period, as of now the March 1, 2013 deadline remains in place.

To raise awareness, the Senators commented that “…more than 340,000 homes and 189,500 business were negatively impacted by the storm. Many of these homeowners and businesses have applied for disaster relief from FEMA and the SBA, but some have not yet made that effort. In addition, many businesses throughout the state have not yet sought SBA assistance because they are not interested in loans.”

Additional information on these assistance programs can be obtained online at www.disasterassistance.gov, or at any FEMA or SBA disaster recovery center.