New disaster assistance for residents and businesses in Livingston County and McLean County

Posted on August 24, 2021

*To be eligible for this declaration, at least 25 homes and/or business in an Illinois county had to have sustained major uninsured losses of at least 40 percent. (Facebook/Illinois Weather)*

BLOOMINGTON – On Monday, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved the state’s request for assisting residents and businesses financially hurt from recent severe weather.

The new disaster assistance is meant to boost flood recovery efforts in Ford County as well as surrounding counties, including Livingston County and McLean County.

According to a press release, the SBA disaster declaration makes three types of loans available to storm victims, which include the following:

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.

To be eligible for this declaration, at least 25 homes and/or business in an Illinois county had to have sustained major uninsured losses of at least 40 percent.

Applicants seeking the additional assistance can apply online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela, or call SBA Customer Service at (800) 659-2955.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…