Everything You Need to Know About CARES Act II

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Late last week, Washington passed its fourth stimulus bill since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic less than two months ago. This $483.4 billion legislation is meant to serve as a bridge between the CARES Act- issued just a few weeks ago- and a larger, yet to be drafted bill currently being negotiated between Democrats and Republicans. Though it is only intended to serve as a stop gap until a more comprehensive aid package can be agreed upon, there remain a number of important points you should be made aware of.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Amongst small businesses, this program proved incredibly popular. Unfortunately, demand far outstripped supply and the funding provided by the CARES Act was quickly depleted. Adding to the frustration was a sense that larger banks- such as Citizens or Wells Fargo- had prioritized applications from established, more financially savvy clients.

To address this, the new bill allocated an additional $321 billion towards the program, with $60 billion set aside for smaller lenders. This allocation will be split between two categories, with half allocated to banks with less than $10 billion in assets and the remainder to institutions with between $10 billion and $50 billion in assets. It is hoped that by targeting regional or local lenders, a greater share of these funds would be directed to small or otherwise disadvantaged borrowers. Banks began accepting new PPP applications on Monday, April 27th, with funding anticipated to last roughly two weeks. To learn more about this program, visit the SBA’s website. You can also find a list of locally participating banks by clicking here.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) Another highly popular program which quickly ran out of funding was the EIDL. These flexible, low interest loans could be coupled with forgivable advances of up to $10,000 depending upon the number of individuals a business employed. Unfortunately, in its initial iteration, this program was unavailable to farmers and ranchers with less than 500 employees.

Last week’s legislation amends this, enabling a vital program to assist critical agricultural businesses across the nation. It also refinances the program, infusing it with $50 billion in new lending capital and an additional $10 billion for the aforementioned advances. As with the PPP funding however, these resources are only expected to last for a limited time. According to its website, the SBA intends to review existing requests for assistance from the previous round of funding before opening the program up to new applications. Once the application portal is reopened, the Chamber will act to alert you. Interested businesses can learn more by visiting the SBA’s EIDL page here.

Testing and Other Priorities Beyond these assistance programs, Congress and the White House allocated funding to address the public health crisis directly. The new bill commits $75 billion to assist the nation’s hospitals and healthcare providers cope with this pandemic, and provides an additional $25 billion to maintain and expand testing efforts. This last allocation will prove particularly important as the nation and the Commonwealth work to reopen.

In a conversation with the Chamber the day President Trump signed this act into law, Congresswoman Trahan and House Rules Chairman McGovern repeatedly emphasized the importance of testing to responsibly bringing the quarantine to an end. As businesses reopen and people resume their normal routines, the ability to identify new coronavirus cases and contact those who may have come into contact with them will be crucial to guarding against a resurgent epidemic or “second wave”. This legislation divides that responsibility between state and federal authorities.

Of the $25 billion, $11 billion is to be distributed amongst the states and indigenous peoples. Two billion dollars of this will be issued relative to the Health Emergency Preparation Grant Formula with another $4.25 billion distributed relative to the number of cases within a given area. The remaining $14 billion will be overseen by the federal government. This includes allocations for contract tracing, test production, expansion of lab capacity, and $1 billion for testing uninsured individuals. Significantly, it specifically allocates $825 million towards community health centers and clinics in rural areas.

As events continue to take shape, the Chamber’s staff will remain on hand to provide assistance and keep you informed of the latest developments. You can find additional resources by visiting the Chamber’s website at www.northcentralmass.com/coronavirus. If you have questions or concerns about this legislation- or other government efforts to address this crisis- please contact Christopher McDermott, Public Affairs Manager, at cmcdermott@northcentralmass.com or (978) 353-7600 ext. 224. Now- more than ever- we want to hear from you!

North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation Accepting Limited Number of PPP Applications

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The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, the economic development arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, is now accepting applications for the SBA Paycheck Protection Program. Applications are limited to small businesses, sole proprietorships, independent contractors, self-employed persons, and non-profit organizations who are unable to apply through a local bank or credit union and located within our service area. The NCMDC is also limiting its PPP loans to under $50,000. Businesses and entities with an established banking relationship or with requests larger than $50,000 are encouraged to contact their bank or credit union first to apply. 

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program offers favorable financing for small businesses to help keep their workforce employed during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis. Portions of the loans are eligible to be forgiven by the SBA when used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. 

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC) is a non-profit economic development corporation with the mission of creating jobs and improving the economy. NCMDC is certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Program. The NCMDC works in partnership with local banks, credit unions, chambers of commerce and area nonprofits to support emerging microenterprises, small businesses, and community projects in 76 communities in Worcester, Middlesex and Franklin Counties with loans and business assistance.  Since 1996, the NCMDC has granted over $6,900,000 in loans to small businesses to help grow jobs and the economy in the region.

For more information or to apply for a PPP loan through the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, please contact Bea Lee, Economic & Loan Administrator at blee@northcentralmass.com or Sandie Cataldo, Economic Development Manager at 978.353.7600 x232 or via email at scataldo@northcentralmass.com.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Claims Can Now Be Filed

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Claimants are now able to file for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)

They can do so by applying at: www.mass.gov/pua

PUA is a program open to the following individuals:

  • Self-employed individuals, including gig workers, freelancers, and independent contractors
  • Those seeking part-time employment
  • Claimants that have an insufficient work history to qualify for benefits
  • And claimants that have been laid off from churches and religious institutions and are not eligible for benefits under state law

As PUA is a separate program from regular unemployment insurance, they ask that you send constituent inquiries to Jennifer Lavin at PUAconstituentservices@detma.org

The DUA constituent service team (like Mavis Smith, for example) does not have access to the PUA platform, so they will not be able to help you with these claims. If you have policy questions please do not hesitate to reach out to Jessica.muradian@mass.gov.

INNOVATION AND PHILANTHROPY IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19

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How Four Businesses Are Serving North Central Massachusetts

While non-essential business have been forced to shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies in North Central Massachusetts are stepping up with innovative and philanthropic solutions to support the community, health care institutions and those in need, while also taking measures to protect their employees.

From making hand sanitizer, to building temporary nurses’ stations, to setting up a drive-through window for food pickup, or donating storage containers and masks, local businesses are doing whatever it takes.

“We are proud and privileged to play a small role in helping our communities fight this fight,’’ said David Reilly, president of United Solutions in Leominster. “We are in regular contact with many state and local organizations, and our team here will continue to seek out ways to support our communities and the country.’’

United Solutions, a leading manufacturer of plastic totes, trash cans and storage organization solutions, donated Rubbermaid Roughneck Totes and Rubbermaid Action Packers to the Fitchburg Fire Department, Leominster Fire Department, Leominster Emergency Responders, Hopkinton Fire Department, and donated PPE masks to UMass Medical Center.

Reilly said their team is focused on keeping employees safe and healthy while working to meet the demand for products needed by families, essential businesses, first responders, healthcare professionals and military personnel on the front lines of this critical effort.

“At the same time, where we can help, whether it’s by getting our Rubbermaid storage or United Solutions sanitation and other products quickly to local organizations or donating excess PPE or PPE we can procure through our supply chains to organizations, we will do our best,’’ Reilly said.

Leominster-based AIS, a leading manufacturer of commercial office furniture and seating, has also taken several measures to support the community. 

The company acquired and donated 4,000 KN95 mask to first responders in Leominster and Fitchburg, said Bruce Platzman, president and chief operating officer. He said the company is now also manufacturing and donating two different types of masks – a cloth mask made of three layers of fabric including a antimicrobial layer to help kill and repel germs and one less complex. 

Platzman said he has converted an area of the company typically used to make seating just for masks. Production takes place 16 hours a day.

“If I had a million mask to donate, I could find people to take them,’’ he said. 

In addition to the masks, AIS has adapted its manufacturing to provide equipment most needed by essential industries like hospitals. 

Platzman said about 95 percent of its orders are going to organizations that need to stay open – an emergency nurses station for Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and projects for the FBI and the Pentagon, to name a few.

“If we get an order from a triage center in Brooklyn, which we did, and don’t deliver the chairs and desks they need, that triage center doesn’t open up,’’ Platzman said. “It’s as simple as that.’’ 

AIS  has also taken many steps to protect its 700 workers. 

The company is:

  • Using 10 cleaners instead of the usual two, 
  • Requiring employees to take breaks and lunch outside the building.
  • Taking temperatures of employees three times a day.
  • Mandating the use of masks.
  • Circulating air through its ventilation system more often.

“If everyone keeps workers safe and finds a way to keep the workforce moving, we’ll all get through this sooner rather than later,’’ he said. 

Another local company that has adapted its manufacturing to help meet the needs of the community is Garden Remedies. 

Garden Remedies, which operates three marijuana dispensaries in Massachusetts, has its cultivation center in Fitchburg. 

Seeing an immediate need to keep its facilities clean during the pandemic, the cultivation center started producing its own sanitizer, said Dr. Karen Munkacy, the founder and president.

A team member of its topical department immediately switched gears into measuring and sewing face masks for dispensary staff members.

As the need for sanitizer increased, Garden Remedies joined with the Commonwealth Dispensary Association’s program to make 5 gallon jugs of sanitizers sold at cost for hospitals and first responders in the state.

The company has produced 200+ gallons of sanitizer and expects to continue for several more weeks. 

“The Fitchburg team has done a great job of responding to the important needs of the community,’’ she said. 

Munkacy said the pandemic has had a major impact on how they do business and on their overall business results.  

“Despite all the challenges that the pandemic has brought on, the Garden Remedies team has worked extremely hard in our mission to help patients with safe and legal cannabis products and also to support the community by making sanitizing fluid for Massachusetts hospitals and for first responders in communities in which we operate,’’ she said.

Garden Remedies and places like Wachusett Brewing Company in Westminster continue to serve the public so they have taken additional steps to ensure the safety of their customers.

The timing of the pandemic could not have been worse, said Wachusett Brewing Company President Christian McMahan.

This is typically its peak production period as it ramps up for the summer. Additionally, they had recently opened a new Brew Yard in Worcester and were about to open one in Cambridge.

McMahan said they have had three guiding principles during this time: ensuring employment however possible, providing the safest possible environment for employees and supporting the community.

“When the Brew Yards all closed, we were the first brewery in MA to set-up a local delivery service and offer food and beverages for those who were not comfortable leaving their homes,’’ McMahan said. “We have expanded that to now having a drive-thru/curbside delivery option at our Westminster location, which is growing by the day.  We also added an online ordering service to make it even easier for our customers to tell us what they would like and when they would like it.’’

He said the result as exceeded their expectations.

“I think people are looking to mix things up in their routine and if we can play a role in providing them some level of comfort and service through these crazy times, then certainly will continue to do whatever we can to make a difference,’’ McMahan said. “Our staff has been incredible in adapting to something completely new and different.  There is no roadmap for what we are all dealing with.  We just wake-up each and every day and do the best we can with what we have.’’

UPDATE

Since the writing of this article, Garden Remedies has also contributed $5,000 to the Stand United Covid-19 Relief Fund of North Central Massachusetts   and their friends at the Fireman Family Foundation matched their contribution for a total of $10,000 donated to the worthy cause.

NEW FILING GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS – PFML UPDATE

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Since the summer of 2019, the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) and the Division of Insurance (DOI) have engaged the public by holding a series of PMFL private plan standards listening and drafting sessions.

On April 3, 2020, the DOI  released Filing Guidance 2020 – A: Paid Family and Medical Leave. Previously, insurance carriers issued an Insurance Declaration Document (IDD) to employers as proof of satisfying PFML insurance requirements. Coverage through private insurance is required to commence no later than January 1, 2021 (for medical leave insurance) and July 1, 2021 (for family leave insurance). Employers that qualify for an exemption are exempt from remitting contributions to the Family and Employment Security Trust Fund.

This new Filing Guidance includes a Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Policy Template, which outlines the standard provisions that PFML private insurance policies must contain in order to meet the exemption requirements of M.G.L. c. 175M, § 11. The guidance documents are the result of a collaboration between the DOI, the DFML, and life and accident insurance stakeholders to ensure consistency in PFML insurance products offered in the Massachusetts employer marketplace.

Private Plan Updated Guidance:

  • Insurance carriers will submit their policy forms to the DOI for review on or before June 3, 2020.
  • After the DOI reviews the policy forms using a PFML Policy Forms Checklist, insurance carriers will issue policies to their employer policyholders.
  • Previously approved exemption applicants will be required to verify the use of an approved policy during their renewal period. The DFML will request policy form numbers from employers at the time of exemption renewal and will update its website to describe these procedures at a later date.
  • Employers that have secured PFML private insurance coverage but have not filed an application for an exemption must complete a Request for Exemption using the Department of Revenue’s web-based filing system, MassTaxConnect. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and specific deadlines and timelines are explained further on our website.
  • For employers filing for a new exemption who have not yet received a policy form number from an insurance carrier, please submit an IDD signed by both a representative of the employer and a representative of the insurance carrier confirming sufficient PFML private plan insurance coverage.
  • For those employers filing for a new exemption that were issued a policy form number from its insurance carrier prior to filing the Request for Exemption, please submit an IDD with the policy form number listed on the document or provide the policy form number when submitting the exemption application on MassTaxConnect.
  • The DOI does not regulate self-insured employers. Self-insured employers should not make submissions to the DOI. However, employers seeking a self-insured exemption may use the standards listed in the PFML Policy Template to ensure that their self-administered PFML private plans comply with the PFML statute and regulations.

For more information please contact Public Affairs Manager, Christopher McDermott, at cmcdermott@northcentralmass.com or VISIT HERE.

An Updated Message From the Chamber President

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Dear Member,

I wanted to provide you with another update on the Chamber’s efforts to support local businesses and our communities during the Coronavirus crisis. We understand the tremendous impact that this health crisis is having on our members and communities and have focused all of our efforts and resources on helping you navigate this unprecedented challenge.  At the same time, we are looking ahead and preparing post-crisis recovery efforts to help you recover quickly and get back to business once this has passed, and it will pass!

CARES Act: Last week Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (CARES). Among its many provisions, the CARES Act will include $377B in loans and loan forgiveness for small businesses. The Act also includes tax relief measures and various grant programs for impacted industries. Click here for a summary of those aspects of the legislation most relevant to our region. More information will be made available in the days and weeks to come as the federal government works out the details. We encourage you to check our website for updates and for upcoming webinars on the CARES Act;

Emergency Loans: Unfortunately, we have seen very strong interest in our Emergency Loan Program. Our team has been working hard to keep up with the requests and move them through the process quickly. To assist businesses, we have reduced our interest rate and have eliminated the closing fee on these emergency loans. We are also structuring the loans with favorable terms. If you need a small loan to get you through this period until stimulus money kicks in, then please contact Sandie Cataldo at scataldo@northcentralmass.com or Brendan Hannen atbhannen@northcentralmass.com. We are in the process of recapitalizing our fund to ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of local businesses. Also, for those of you that may require a larger loan, the SBA Disaster Loan Program can now provide up to $10 million dollars;

Video Message: If you have not seen it, then I would encourage you to view a special video we premiered on March 22 on the Chamber’s Facebook page. You can click here to view it. This short video with its message of hope, community and resiliency was developed by our team in an effort to inspire people and raise spirts. The video has already been shared over 330 times and has had over 37,000 views and growing on Facebook! That doesn’t include the video views on our other social media platforms (YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn) and the Chamber website.  Special thanks to member and motivational speaker Maria Milagros for narrating the video;

Chamber Office: The Chamber is deemed an essential business under the guidelines announced by Governor Baker last week. However, as a safety precaution, we have closed the office temporarily and will limit access to the public. We will be available by appointment at the office to provide services that need to be made in person, such as certificates of export for our manufacturers and insurance related matters. We will also be performing loan closings at the office related to our Emergency Loan Program. Except for these instances, staff will work remotely per the protocols that we have in place. Please contact us if you need to schedule an appointment;

Equipment Donations: All four of our hospital systems – Health Alliance, Heywood, Nashoba Medical and Emerson – reached out to us and requested help securing additional personal protective equipment (PPE).  We have been proactive in our outreach to businesses to secure donations and we have also reached out to most of the region’s manufacturers to inquire if they can modify their production to assist with producing these products. We have received a tremendous response. Thank you to all of you that reached out. It has been very inspiring to see our members rally together to offer any help they could during this time of crisis. Please contact us for more information on how to donate items or if your company is interested in producing PPE items. The state also just established an online portal for PPE donations and procurement that can be found here;

Webinars: We have already conducted several webinars to help businesses, with several more in the works. The webinars were recorded and are available on our website to view. We also have a webinar this week that will review the CARES Act and another scheduled for next week on applying for the new Payroll Protection Program and other grants/loans through the SBA. I encourage you to check out our website and social media for updates;

Coronavirus Information & Resources:  Our Coronavirus Information Page is continuously updated with the latest guidance from local, state and federal authorities. We are committed to keeping our members and the public informed and will continue posting throughout this crisis on our various social media platforms as information becomes available.  If you have not done so yet, please follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram;

Jobs Board: We have been updating our WorkNorthCentral.com online jobs board to help recently displaced workers find new jobs opportunities, as well as help those employers that need immediate help because their needs have changed due to the crisis;

Advocacy & Support: We have been in regular communication with our local, state and federal officials to help with efforts and stay updated on the government’s response. We also continue to collect survey responses from businesses on the impact to their operations. This input from members will be helpful as we communicate with policy leaders, and will help set the stage for recovery efforts;

Finally, I want to extend my thanks to all of those members and their dedicated employees, across all sectors, who are in many cases risking their own safety to respond to this national and global pandemic. These include our health care institutions on the front line, our manufacturers who are playing an important role in the supply chain, our markets and farms who are working to keep people fed, and many more. Stay strong. We will get through this, together.

 

Roy Nascimento, IOM, CCE

President & CEO 

CARES Act – Everything You Need to Know

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Last week, Congress passed the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” (CARES Act). This 880-page legislation was passed in response to the Coronavirus crisis and has major implications for our economy. More information and details will emerge in the coming days and weeks, but below is a summary of some of the key features of the legislation that are relevant to our members and industries here in North Central Massachusetts:

  • Paycheck Protection Program: This includes $350 billion in funding for loans to small businesses and other entities, including 501 (c) 3 non-profits with zero-fee loans of up to $10 million. Up to 8 weeks of average payroll and other costs will be forgiven if the business retains its employees and their salary levels. Principal and interest is deferred for up to a year and all borrower fees are waived. This temporary emergency assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Treasury can be used in coordination with other COVID-financing assistance established in the bill or any other existing SBA loan program.
  • Emergency Economic Injury Grants: This includes $10 billion in funding for a provision to provide an advance of $10,000 to small businesses and nonprofits that apply for an SBA economic injury disaster loan (EIDL) within three days of applying for the loan. EIDLs are loans of up to $2 million that carry interest rates up to 3.75 percent for companies and up to 2.75 percent for nonprofits, as well as principal and interest deferment for up to 4 years. The loans may be used to pay for expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred, including payroll and other operating expenses.
  • The EIDL grant does not need to be repaid, even if the grantee is subsequently denied an EIDL, and may be used to provide paid sick leave to employees, maintaining payroll, meet increased production costs due to supply chain disruptions, or pay business obligations, including debts, rent and mortgage payments. Eligible grant recipients must have been in operation on January 31, 2020. The grant is available to small businesses, private nonprofits, sole proprietors and independent contractors, tribal businesses, as well as cooperatives and employee-owned businesses.
  • A business that receives an EIDL between January 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020 as a result of a COVID-19 disaster declaration is eligible to apply for a PPP loan or the business may refinance their EIDL into a PPP loan. In either case, the emergency EIDL grant award of up to $10,000 would be subtracted from the amount forgiven in the Paycheck Protection Plan.
  • Support for Impacted Industries, States and Cities: It directs $454 billion to the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve to aid affected industries with secured loans, loan guarantees, and other financial measures.
  • Tax relief to mitigate losses, pay employees, and cover utilities: Impacted businesses may temporarily defer tax liability, access an Employee Retention Tax Credit, delay or eliminate estimated quarterly tax payments and filings deadlines, and carry-back the Net Operating Loss (NOL) Deduction.
  • Support for Hospital and Other Health Care Providers: It directs $100 billion to reimburse eligible health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues not otherwise reimbursed that are directly attributable to COVID-19. Eligible providers are defined as public entities, Medicare- or Medicaid-enrolled suppliers and providers, and other for-profit and non-profit entities as specified by the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary.
→   Emergency Loans Small Business Guide & Checklist   ←
Please consider the Chamber a resource as you navigate this crisis. If you have any questions regarding this legislation or the public sector’s response to COVID-19 at the federal, state, or municipal levels, please do not hesitate to contact the Chamber’s public affairs manager, Christopher McDermott, at cmcdermott@northcentralmass.com or 978.353.7600 ext. 224.

A LIST OF ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES: Updated 4.7.20

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Per an announcement made by Governor Baker, the Commonwealth has updated the list of essential businesses during the COVD-19 pandemic and has also extended the stay-at-home advisory through Monday, May 4th.

New guidances were announced today around hotels, motels, inns, beds and breakfasts and other short-term residential rentals.

See the updated list of essential businesses HERE

SBA To Provide Small Businesses Impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19) Up to $2 Million in Disaster Assistance Loans

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WASHINGTON – SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza issued the following statement today in response to the President’s address to the nation: 

“The President took bold, decisive action to make our 30 million small businesses more resilient to Coronavirus-related economic disruptions. Small businesses are vital economic engines in every community and state, and they have helped make our economy the strongest in the world. Our Agency will work directly with state Governors to provide targeted, low-interest disaster recovery loans to small businesses that have been severely impacted by the situation. Additionally, the SBA continues to assist small businesses with counseling and navigating their own preparedness plans through our network of 68 District Offices and numerous Resource Partners located around the country. The SBA will continue to provide every small business with the most effective and customer-focused response possible during these times of uncertainty.” 

Process for Accessing SBA’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disaster Relief Lending

  • The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Upon a request received from a state’s or territory’s Governor, SBA will issue under its own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act that was recently signed by the President, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan declaration.
  • Any such Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance declaration issued by the SBA makes loans available to small businesses and private, non-profit organizations in designated areas of a state or territory to help alleviate economic injury caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
  • SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance will coordinate with the state’s or territory’s Governor to submit the request for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance. 
  • Once a declaration is made for designated areas within a state, the information on the application process for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance will be made available to all affected communities.
  • SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance and can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. 
  • These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere; businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%. 
  • SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay. 
  • SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans are just one piece of the expanded focus of the federal government’s coordinated response, and the SBA is strongly committed to providing the most effective and customer-focused response possible.

For additional information, please contact the SBA disaster assistance customer service center. Call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or e-mail disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.