Tornado victims in waiting game
SBA needs to sign off on paperwork for disaster loans
Federal disaster loan assistance for suburban businesses and homeowners whose property was damaged by an EF-3 tornado last month, including many is Naperville, is caught up a bureaucratic limbo, officials say.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker sent a letter July 8 to the U.S. Small Business Administration asking that a disaster declaration be made so that eligible residents and businesses in DuPage County and counties contiguous would be able to apply for low-interest, long-term loans.
That request was made more than two weeks after tornados came through Naperville, Woodridge and other suburbs on June 20.
“Recent storms have upended the daily lives of DuPage County residents, impacting family homes and local businesses,” Pritzker said in a news release. “Multiple state agencies have been on the ground working closely with community leaders to provide critical support as residents begin the process of rebuilding.
“Receiving a disaster declaration from the U.S. SBA would provide an additional level of needed support to the community and help residents get back on their feet faster and stronger,” he said.
U.S. senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckwork and 18 members of Congress have also sent letters to SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman urging the declaration be made.
“Assisting these residents in recovery is of utmost importance, and Gov. Pritzker has determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of state and local governments,” the 20 elected officials wrote in their letters.
Mark Ihenacho, the SBA’s public affairs manager, said a damage assessment was completed Tuesday and the administration is waiting for a request from the governor.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the agency had not received a request, Ihenacho said. But Jordan Abudayyeh, the governor’s press secretary, said Thursday that it was her understanding “the letter had been sent.”
In announcing the request, Pritzker last week said Illinois Emergency Management Agency staffworked with the local jurisdictions to complete an extensive damage assessment of the affected area.
While the damage did not meet the threshold for a federal disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, state officials believe the threshold has been met for the SBA.
To be eligible for an SBA declaration, at least 25 homes and/or businesses in a county must sustain major, uninsured losses of 40% or more.
The letters from the senators and congressmen said SBA found that 79 properties either incurred damage or were destroyed as a result of the tornado.
In Naperville alone, 231 structures reported some level of damage. One home was destroyed, 19 declared uninhabitable and 143 received major damage. Minor damage was reported to 68 buildings.
Woodridge reported 400 homes were damaged, including 29 that were a complete loss and 157 with major damage.