Illinois residents were recently denied federal assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency after an appeal. However, the Small Business Administration has stepped into fill the void for 17 counties in the state in providing low interest loans through their own disaster declaration. The U.S. Small Business Administration is making low-interest loans available to businesses, homeowners and renters to replace or repair real estate and personal property who were effected by this year’s historic flooding.
The declaration covers Calhoun, Jersey, Greene, Macoupin, and Madison in the region, as well 13 contiguous counties to the north and south. The deadline to apply for the loans is December 9th. To apply in person or to receive more information, the US SBA has set up an office at Granite City’s City Hall located at 2000 Edison Avenue, which is open Monday through Saturday. For more information visit disasterloan.sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955.