Just Days Left to Apply for Sandy Help

There was only one person filling out forms at the Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Center in East Haven. He hadn’t yet filed with the Small Business Administration or FEMA, even though Sandy was a month and a half ago. The SBA says he’s not alone.

“We have sent out over 8,500 applications, and … maybe 10 percent have returned, so we know there’s a lot of people who have not returned their application,” said Barbara Berry, a public affairs specialist with the SBA.

Those affected by Sandy only have until December 31st to file applications and the SBA is worried that many people won’t hit their deadline.

“We know there are a lot of people out there who may not be aware of it. They’re getting caught up in the holiday time now. We’re close to it, we’re two, three weeks out,” said Berry.

The SBA is urging people to file now and come to a Disaster Loan Outreach Center if they need help.

The SBA doesn’t just help businesses, it also helps renters and homeowners get low-interest loans, ranging from $40,000 to $200,000.

“They also can come here if they’ve already applied,and all they need to do is a signing of their loan, that can happen here,” said Berry.