(WNY News Now) Following disastrous storms in August 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul has announced U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) funding to help companies, residences, and renters in Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties.
Governor Kathy Hochul declared that residents of Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties, New York, who were affected by severe weather on August 8–10, 2024, are eligible for federal help. To help recover from the consequences of the storms that caused substantial damage to homes and businesses, homeowners, renters, and companies can now apply for low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
According to Governor Hochul, our administration has put a lot of effort into making sure that the towns affected by the severe weather in August of this year have access to all the resources they require in order to rebuild and recover.Extreme weather is nothing new to New York, but it is becoming all too often. I am grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and our federal partners for this important support for Franklin and St. Lawrence County citizens and business owners.
SBA loans are now available to homeowners, residents, and enterprises in the designated counties. For qualified parties that want financial support to begin the process of recovery after weather-related disasters and other calamities, SBA loans can be quite beneficial.
Low-interest loans will be made available under this declaration to replace or repair damaged property brought on by the incident for:
- Businesses or private, non-profit organizations up to $2 million
- Homeowners or renters up to $100,000 (to help repair or replace personal property)
- Homeowners up to $500,000 (to repair or restore their primary home to pre-disaster condition)
According to Commissioner Jackie Bray of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, this cash will assist individuals affected by extreme weather in recovering from storm-related losses and damages. On behalf of New Yorkers, we are grateful to Governor Hochul and our federal allies for their hard work in securing the necessary resources for these towns to rebuild.
New Yorkers can apply online, download applications, and find more information here. Additionally, they can email [email protected] or phone the SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955. In the days ahead, locations for applications and in-person help will be disclosed.
To use telecommunications relay services, people who are hard of hearing, deaf, or have a speech disability can phone 711.
Applications for physical property damage must be returned by January 24, 2025. Applications for economic injury must be returned by August 25, 2025.
Concerning the Homeland Security and Emergency Services Division
In order to prevent, guard against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism, natural disasters, threats, fires, and other emergencies, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services leads, coordinates, and supports these efforts. Visit NYSDHSES on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn, as well as visitdhses.ny.gov by clicking this link, for additional information.