The U. S. Small Business Administration will open a Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) in Bridge City to provide personal service to homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of Hurricane Ike.

SBA will open the DLOC at 1 p.m. Monday, November 10.

“SBA customer service representatives will be on hand to issue loan applications, answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process, and help each individual complete their application,” Manuel R. Gonzalez said.

The center will be open on from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce, 159 West Round Bunch Road near intersection with Texas 73 in Bridge City.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace their damaged or destroyed primary residence. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses of any size and private non-profit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to help homeowners and business owners with the cost of making improvements that protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

For small businesses and most private, non-profit organizations, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business or non-profit suffered any property damage.

“So far, SBA has approved more then $234 million in low interest disaster loans to Texas residents and businesses hurt by Hurricane Ike,” Gonzalez said.

Individuals and business owners unable to visit SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Center may contact SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling toll-free (800) 659-2955 or by e-mailing SBA at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Hearing impaired individuals may call toll-free (800) 877-8339 or visit SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.

Additionally, disaster victims may now go online to file an SBA application for disaster loan assistance. The Electronic Loan Application (ELA) is accessible via SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

The filing deadline to return applications for property damage is December 12, 2008. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 15, 2009.

Almost 34 percent of the SBA approved loan dollars are coming to Southeast Texas — $81.7 million. These are funds Texans will use to start repairing their homes, businesses, churches, etc.

Carl Sherrill, SBA communications specialist said one major issue remains getting people to complete their SBA applications. Only a little over seven percent in Sooutheast Texas have completed them to date — that means that 93 percent of those issued applications could be missing out on assistance that may be available to them.

The SBA extended the registration deadline to December 12 to give registrants a little more time, he said, and having another office in Bridge City gives them one more place to go for assistance in completing their applications.

Lastly, the SBA are closing loans everyday in Port Arthur and Southeast Texas. They are getting answers to people within six to 10 days after the SBA receive a completed application. Insurance does not have to be settled before people complete their application.