CONNECTICUT, USA — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Wednesday that the U.S. Small Business Administration, or SBA, opened two Business Recovery Centers in Monroe and Oxford.
Each location is providing in-person help to businesses looking to apply for federal disaster aid for damages that occurred because of the severe flooding the western portion of Connecticut experienced on Aug. 18.
The Monroe location can be found in the police department at 7 Fan Hill Road, while the Oxford location is situated in Town Hall at 486 Oxford Road. Both Business Recovery Centers are staffed by SBA customer service representatives, according to Lamont’s office.
These customer service representatives can assist business owners in completing their disaster loan applications, accept documents and provide updates on an application’s status. Each location is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are closed on Sundays.
Walk-ins are accepted, but Lamont’s office strongly encourages residents to schedule an appointment in advance by clicking here. As an alternative to applying in person, business owners can also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information.
Lamont’s office says the Lamont administration is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to establish similar in-person centers to provide aid to homeowners looking to apply for federal disaster aid and that an additional announcement will be made once those locations and hours of operation are identified.
Meanwhile, homeowners can start applying for assistance by clicking here, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or by using the FEMA app. Individuals who register through FEMA’s website will be registering for any possible assistance offered by both FEMA and the SBA, according to Lamont’s office.
Lamont recommends that any business owner who experienced losses from the extreme flooding meet in person with an SBA representative who can guide them through the process on the loans and programs that are available to them because of the major disaster declaration Connecticut received last week from President Joe Biden. Officials are encouraging residents and business owners to keep their receipts as they rebuild.
“We are working with FEMA to identify similar in-person centers that will provide assistance to homeowners seeking to apply for relief, and we should have an additional announcement on those locations soon. Our administration appreciates the partnership of the SBA and FEMA in helping Connecticut’s businesses and homeowners recover from this major storm,” Lamont said.
Lamont’s office specifies that business and homeowners who experienced damage from the flooding are eligible for federal disaster relief resulting from the major declaration that Biden approved last week for Fairfield County, Litchfield County and New Haven County.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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