Small nonfarm businesses in 64 Louisiana parishes and neighboring counties in Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas are now eligible to apply for low interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced Director Tanya N. Garfield of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West.
These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought in the following primary parishes that began Dec. 1, 2021.
Primary Louisiana parishes include: East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa. Neighboring Louisiana parishes include: Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. Tammany, St. John the Baptist, and Washington; Neighboring Mississippi counties include: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Issaquena, Jefferson, Pike, Warren and Wilkinson.
Small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.
By law, SBA makes Economic Injury Disaster Loans available when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture designates an agricultural disaster. The Secretary declared this disaster on April 8, 2022.
Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance.
