Federal agencies have extended deadlines to apply for loans and register for assistance as the Cape Fear region continues to recover from Hurricane Florence.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has set a new deadline of Dec. 13 to apply for physical property damage loans and June 14, 2019, for economic injury applications, according to a news release. The previous deadline to apply had been Nov. 13.
So far, the SBA has approved $264 million in disaster assistance loans in North Carolina, with 6,100 of the 6,600 total loans going to homeowners and renters, an SBA spokesman said Monday.
SBA disaster loans are available to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters to cover uninsured losses from the disaster, the SBA release stated. Interest rates are as low as 3.675 percent for businesses, 2.5 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 2 percent for homeowners and renters. Loan terms can be up to 30 years, according to the release.
"Economic injury disaster loans are also available to provide disaster related working capital to small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations," the release stated. "These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred."
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the
SBA’s secure website.
To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, applicants
should register online or download the FEMA mobile app.
The deadline to register with FEMA for disaster assistance has also been extended by 30 days, to 11:59 p.m. Dec. 13, according to a news release, an extension FEMA granted at the request of Gov. Roy Cooper, who cited a continued flow of new applications in the wake of the September storm.
A FEMA spokeswoman provided the latest numbers Monday in the tri-county region for the aid and housing assistance provided so far as a result of Hurricane Florence:
New Hanover County
Total FEMA funding provided: $26.7 million
- $10.1 million in grants to 3,975 New Hanover County households to help them rent a place to live temporarily, make basic home repairs to help make their home habitable and replace personal property. By law, FEMA assistance is for needs not covered by insurance.
- FEMA has paid $16.6 million in flood insurance claims to policyholders in New Hanover County, where 1,462 claims have been filed.
- FEMA has paid for 172 New Hanover County families to stay in hotels temporarily under the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, because their primary residence was uninhabitable.
- For survivors with uninhabitable homes who cannot find a viable rental property, FEMA is working to license families into direct temporary housing units.
Pender County
Total FEMA funding provided: $43.9 million
- $14.6 million in grants to 2,455 Pender County households to help them rent a place to live temporarily, make basic home repairs to help make their home habitable, and replace personal property.
- $29.3 million in flood insurance claims to policyholders in Pender County, where 1,211 claims have been filed.
- FEMA has paid for 73 Pender County families to stay in hotels temporarily under the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program.
- FEMA has licensed 18 Pender County families into direct temporary housing units.
Brunswick County
Total FEMA funding provided: $18.4 million
- $6.5 million in grants to 1,709 Brunswick County households to help them rent a place to live temporarily, make basic home repairs to help make their home habitable and replace personal property.
- $11.9 million in flood insurance payments to policyholders in Brunswick County, where 1,006 claims have been filed.
- FEMA has paid for 50 Brunswick County families to stay in hotels temporarily under the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program.
- For survivors with uninhabitable homes who cannot find a viable rental property, FEMA is working to license families into direct temporary housing units.
