Rohnert Park Ripples by Gina Belforte - December 2017
The fires that tore through Sonoma County were absolutely devastating. If your home, personal property or business have been affected by the fires and the repair or replacement costs for these items are not covered fully by insurance then reach out to the
Recently I attended a meeting to find out more about the SBA federal disaster loans and I was surprised to learn there are so many resources to help renters, homeowners and businesses during the recovery and rebuilding process.
Businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters may qualify for an SBA loan. Go to disasterloan.sba.gov/ela or call SBA at 800-659-2955 to see which loan fits your needs.
The SBA offers loans to renters as well as homeowners.
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) is one loan that is available to business located in any city, not just the cities that experienced fires.
This loan is available through the small business administration for any business or non-profit which incurred damage from the North Bay fires. If your business is located in any city, and you were affected by loss of revenue, cancelled bookings, cancelled reservations or other losses, you may qualify for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Go to disasterloan.sba.gov or call 800-659-2955.
Applications will be accepted into 2018 for the EIDL as most business may not realize the extent of their losses until some time has gone by. In speaking with George Camp, Public Information Officer for the SBA, he said if you believe your business has been harmed, or will be harmed economically, it is best to apply now. Once you know what you qualify for the money will be dispersed only as you need it and you do not need to take all of the money if you do not need it.
Another great source for businesses affected by the North Bay Fire is the Sonoma County Business Recovery Resource Guide. This guide has over 20 different types of grants and loan that businesses can apply for to help them during the recovery. Go to sonomaedb.org/businessrecovery or call 707-565-7170.
To help speed the building process a few weeks ago the Rohnert Park City Council agreed to let the University District release permits for 30 homes at a time instead of the originally agreed upon 10. This will aid in the building of homes. One of the developers is also looking at selling the next eight houses up for sale to only those who have lost their homes in the fires.
