SBA to Launch ‘Business Recovery Center’

Federal officials are looking to step up assistance efforts in the next few days in the wake of last weekend’s deadly flooding throughout Middle Tennessee. Small Business Administration officials say they’ll soon be opening up a “business recovery center” at Tennessee State University.

The Small Business Administration bills itself as the federal government’s long-term disaster recovery arm. Despite the “small business” in the administration’s name, Jelani Miller says the SBA also works with homeowners and renters.

“We’re here to try to get you to the position where you were before the disaster struck; we understand that we cannot get you whole, but we try our best to get you as close as possible.”

Miller says to that end the SBA provides long-term low interest loans for homes and personal property. And it can help businesses cover costs like payroll and utilities to help them stay afloat during the recovery.