Gov. Pritzker Announces Disaster Assistance for East Central Illinois Residents, Businesses

SPRINGFIELD - Governor JB Pritzker today announced the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved the state's request for assistance to help people and businesses in Ford County recover from severe storms and flash flooding that occurred in August 2021.

In addition to Ford County, people and businesses in the contiguous Illinois counties of Champaign, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, McLean and Vermilion are eligible to apply for low-interest, long-term loans made available by the SBA declaration.

"This disaster declaration will provide an additional level of support for the residents and businesses in east-central Illinois and I want to commend the U.S. Small Business Administration for their expedient response," said Governor JB Pritzker. "The State of Illinois will continue to deploy all resources at our disposal to aid Ford County and its residents as we ensure the region makes a full recovery." 
 
To be eligible for an SBA declaration, at least 25 homes and/or businesses in a county must sustain major, uninsured losses of 40 percent or more. On August 18, the local jurisdiction led the SBA and Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) on a joint damage assessment to provide the documentation necessary to apply for these critical resources.  The survey identified at least 104 homes and at least 6 businesses in Ford County sustained major damages resulting in more than $2.8 million in uninsured losses.  The survey also found at least 35 homes sustained minor damages, resulting in more than $350,000 in damages.

The SBA Disaster Declaration makes three types of loans available to storm survivors:

Physical Disaster Loans:  Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventory, supplies, machinery and equipment.  These applications must be received by the SBA no later than October 22, 2021.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans:  Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and most private-nonprofits meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a result of the disaster.  These applications must be submitted to the SBA no later than May 23, 2022.

Home Disaster Loans:  Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster damaged real estate and personal property.  SBA regulations limit home loans to $200,000 for the repair or replacement of real estate and $40,000 to repair or replace personal property.  These loan applications are due October 22, 2021.

A Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) will be established in Ford County to help walk storm survivors through the application process.   The DLOC will be located at Gibson City Fire Department, 115 S. Lawrence Street, Gibson City.  The center opens on Thursday, August 26 and closes Thursday, September 9.  Hours of operation include:

Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information by visiting https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.  Applicants can also call the SBA Customer Service line at (800) 659-2955.  Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX. 76155.

Last weekend, the State of Illinois partnered with the American Red Cross to host a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) in Gibson City where more than 100 families were connected with post-disaster supplies and services. Those who were unable to attend this event can visit the Ready Illinois website to find a list of resources available to those impacted by the disaster. If additional resources are needed, residents are encouraged to contact their local emergency management office or the American Red Cross for further assistance.