Low-interest SBA loans available for businesses affected by Fountain Court fire

Maria Francis, Pocono Record
·2 min read

Businesses affected by the Fountain Court Mall fire in Pocono Township can file for assistance with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

A team of disaster recovery specialists will form an SBA Business Recovery Center (BRC) at the Pocono Township Municipal Building, located at 112 Township Drive in Tannersville, on Saturday, July 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The location will close permanently on Thursday, Aug. 3.

Small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses, and private nonprofit organizations in Monroe County and the neighboring counties affected by the Fountain Court Mall disaster on June 25 may apply for low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.

More: Firefighters respond to burning shopping center in the Poconos

Specialists at the BRC will be available to answer questions about the disaster loan program and help business owners complete their applications.

This is for businesses and private nonprofits eligible for low-interest working capital loans, due to loss of revenue. SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman made the loans available in response to a July 11 letter from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA.

Eligible applicants in the declared area can now apply for low-interest disaster loans from the SBA. The declaration covers Monroe County and the adjacent counties of Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northampton, Pike and Wayne in Pennsylvania; and Sussex and Warren in New Jersey.

“SBA’s mission-driven team stands ready to help Pennsylvania small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses, and private nonprofit organizations impacted by the June 25 Fountain Court Mall fire in Pocono Township,” said Administrator Guzman. “We’re committed to providing federal disaster loans swiftly and efficiently, with a customer-centric approach to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild.”

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov/ela/s and should apply under SBA declaration #18015.

Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Loan applications may be downloaded at sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be returned to the center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The filing deadline is April 15, 2024.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Fountain Court fire: Small biz help at muni building until Thursday