ATLANTA, Dec. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that its ten Business Recovery Centers throughout New York will continue to provide prompt one-on-one, face-to-face assistance for survivors of Hurricane Sandy during the holiday season.

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Business Recovery Centers will host storm survivors until noon on New Year's Eve, will not be open on New Year's Day and will return to business as usual on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013.

These Centers are staffed by SBA Customer Service Representatives that can answer questions, help with the application process and assist those applicants who want to apply on-line to complete the Electronic Loan Application.

Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.  The SBA may increase a loan up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements, as verified by SBA, to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private non-profit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster.  Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years.  Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant's financial condition.

Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA's secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Additional details on the locations of recovery centers and the loan application process can be obtained by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.  Loan applications can be downloaded from www.sba.gov.  Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is January 28, 2013.  The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 31, 2013.

For more information about the SBA's Disaster Loan Program, visit our website at www.sba.gov.

Release Number: 13-158, NY 13365/13366

Contact: Jelani Miller
Phone: 404-331-0333

SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration