Disaster Assistance Available for Residents Affected by June 2019 Flooding

Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Steger opens today

Residents in the Village of Steger and surrounding communities affected by severe storms and flooding in June 2019 can now apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA is opening a Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Steger today to assist area residents in applying for loans in person. The center will remain operational until Oct. 17.

Significant rains on June 26 -28, 2019 across the region severely impacted sections of Steger, Park Forest and South Chicago Heights. Cook County’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) worked with the Will County Emergency Management Agency and the Village of Steger to survey 487 properties impacted by the storms and flooding. 

The property survey was then sent to SBA for review, which determined that the threshold to qualify for disaster loan assistance had been met. The SBA requires a minimum of 25 structures in a county receiving major damage, and the survey found that 30 structures in Cook County and 26 structures in Will County had incurred major damage.  

The SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Center will open at Louis Sherman Community Center, 3501 Hopkins St. in Steger on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019 at 11 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Thereafter it will be open Monday through Friday (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Saturdays (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and will be closed Sundays and Columbus Day, Oct. 14. The center will close on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 at 4 p.m.

“Access to these loans will make a meaningful impact for residents who were affected by the devastating flooding in Steger and surrounding communities,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “I am grateful to the dedicated team at Cook County’s DHSEM along with their counterparts in Will County and IEMA for collaborating to find relief for our residents. It’s a wonderful example of what we can accomplish when we work together.”

“Cook County DHSEM worked closely with our partners in Will County and Steger to comprehensively survey the damage from this flooding event and ensure that our residents were eligible for all possible assistance, including low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration,” said William Barnes, executive director of DHSEM. “We encourage all residents impacted by this storm to apply for loans online or stop by the Steger Disaster Loan Operations Center in person.”

The SBA Disaster Declaration allows homeowners, renters, property owners, businesses and most private nonprofit organizations to apply for low-interest loans to repair or replace property damage, along with personal property such as cars, furniture or clothing. Residents beyond the Steger area who were affected by storms and flooding from June 26-28, 2019 may also apply for low-interest loans. SBA Disaster Declaration IL-00056 includes Cook, Will, DuPage, Lake, Kane, Kankakee, McHenry, Kendall and Grundy Counties in Illinois and Lake County in Indiana. 

Although the Steger Disaster Loan Outreach Center will close on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, those who qualify for disaster loan assistance may submit applications for physical property damage until Monday, Nov. 25, 2019. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Friday, June 26, 2020.  Any individual or business needing additional information, or wishing to apply for a loan, should contact the SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

For more information on the types of loans available, residents and business owners impacted by severe storms and flooding on June 26 – 28, 2019 may visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Information/Index.

For details about the loan program, visit: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Information/DisasterLoanFactSheets