Panhandle Times

Small nonfarm businesses in six Texas counties can apply for federal aid to help with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. Small Business Administration's Disaster Field Operations Center-West Director Tanya Garfield said businesses in Wheeler, Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Hemphill and Roberts counties can apply for loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Businesses in neighboring Oklahoma counties of Beckham and Roger Mills can also apply for loans. 

“SBA eligibility covers both the economic impacts on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers that have suffered agricultural production losses caused by the disaster and businesses directly impacted by the disaster,” Garfield said. 

Nonfarm businesses and nonprofits can apply for up to $2 million. 

“Eligibility for these loans is based on the financial impact of the disaster only and not on any actual property damage,” Garfield said. "These loans have an interest rate of 3 percent for businesses and 2.75 percent for private nonprofit organizations, a maximum term of 30 years and are available to small businesses and most private nonprofits without the financial ability to offset the adverse impact without hardship."  

Applications can be downloaded online and more information can be found by calling the SBA's Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.