Anchorage, Alaska – If you were asked to apply with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as part of your Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Individual Assistance application, you must submit your application in order to be eligible for additional FEMA Individual Assistance AND State of Alaska Individual Assistance.
As FEMA processes your Individual Assistance application, they may refer you to the SBA before a decision can be reached. SBA offers long-term, low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, as well as homeowners and renters. If you are referred to the SBA, you MUST fill out the application. SBA loan officers will process the application to determine if you are eligible for an SBA disaster assistance loan. Before you can be considered for FEMA or State of Alaska assistance, applying to the SBA is a required as part of the FEMA and State of Alaska application process for those selected.
After submitting your application, if you are not approved for a loan then you will be referred back to FEMA and you may be eligible for assistance with personal property, transportation, or a Group Flood Insurance Policy. FEMA’s Individual Assistance program provides financial and direct services to eligible individuals and households who have uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs as a result of a presidentially declared disaster. If eligible, potential assistance can help repair or replace subsistence equipment and select personal property lost in the storm.
If you are approved for an SBA disaster loan you do not have to accept the loan. If you are approved for the loan and turn it down, you have six months to change your mind and re-activate the application if you discover additional damage or if your insurance settlement is not enough to cover your repairs. However, please keep in mind that if you are approved and you do not accept it, you will NOT be referred back to FEMA for the additional assistance mentioned above.
Please note that other types of federal assistance are NOT impacted by a referral to the SBA or by your decision regarding the loan offer, but FEMA Individual Assistance to cover personal property items, including subsistence equipment, IS impacted by your SBA application and offer decision.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela. For more information or assistance on SBA applications, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
FEMA is committed to providing equal access to our programs and services without discrimination. If you require a reasonable accommodation, call or text 907-727-6221 or email FEMA-language-access-request@fema.dhs.gov. You can also let staff in the field know you require an accommodation such as spoken language resources, mobility assistance, or sign language interpreting services. If you feel you have experienced discrimination, call the FEMA Civil Rights Resource line at 833-285-7448 or 800-462-7585 (TTY/TDD) or email FEMA-CivilRightsOffice@fema.dhs.gov.
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For more information about FEMA’s support to Alaska’s severe storms, flooding and landslide recovery, visit the FEMA Disaster Site. Follow FEMA Region 10 on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest updates.
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
FEMA is committed to providing equal access to our programs and services without discrimination. If you require a reasonable accommodation, call or text 907-727-6221 or email FEMA-language-access-request@fema.dhs.gov. You can also let staff know you require an accommodation such as spoken language resources, mobility assistance, or sign language interpreting services. If you feel you have experienced discrimination, call the FEMA Civil Rights Resource line at 833-285-7448 or 800-462-7585 (TTY/TDD) or email: FEMACivilRightsOffice@fema.dhs.gov.