ATLANTA, Nov. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that certain Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) in New Jersey that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature may be eligible to apply for low interest rate disaster loans.  These loans are available as a result of a Presidential Disaster declaration for Public Assistance resulting from damages caused by Hurricane Sandy that began on Oct. 26, 2012.

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PNPs located in Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties in New Jersey that provide non-critical services are eligible to apply.  Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

PNP organizations 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.

The SBA also offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses to PNP organizations of all sizes.  Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the organization suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 3 percent with terms up to 30 years.  The SBA sets the loan amounts and terms based on each applicant's financial condition.

PNP organizations are urged to contact their county emergency manager to obtain information regarding how to submit a request for possible public assistance to FEMA.

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

Disaster loan information and application forms may 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 by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also 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 4, 2013.  The deadline to return economic injury applications is August 5, 2013. 

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

Release Number: 13-075, NJ 13380/13381

Contact: Michael Lampton
Phone: 404-331-0333

SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration