SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in West Hollywood

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) opened a third Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Los Angeles County to assist small businesses, private nonprofit (PNP) organizations, and residents who sustained economic losses and physical damages from the wildfires and straight-line winds that began Jan. 7.

“Due to the severe property damage and economic losses inflicted on California businesses, we want to provide every available service to help get them back on their feet,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “SBA’s Business Recovery Centers are a cornerstone of our support for business owners,” Sánchez continued. “At these centers, business owners can meet face-to-face with specialists to apply for disaster loans and access a wide range of resources to guide them through their recovery.”

The West Hollywood center will provide a one-stop location for businesses to access a variety of specialized help. SBA customer service representatives will be available to meet individually with each business owner. No appointment is necessary. The BRC will open as indicated below.

Businesses and PNPs are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.

The SBA also offers  Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses for small businesses and PNPs.  EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the organization suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for PNPs, and 2.563% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms, based on each applicant’s financial condition.

SBA previously announced that representatives will be available at the following BRCs to provide information on SBA disaster loans and business assistance on the dates and times indicated until further notice:

SBA’s disaster loan program has been replenished through the American Relief Act of 2025, signed into law by President Biden on December 21, 2024.

The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible. 

Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition. Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is March 10. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Oct. 8.