BALTIMORE, April 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Thursday, April 4, 2024, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, traveled to Baltimore to highlight federal resources available to help businesses withstand the economic impact of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to the recovery process.
Administrator Guzman started the day hosting a roundtable alongside U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Congressman Kweisi Mfume, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, and County Executive Johnny Olszewski to meet with small business owners affected by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and hear about the challenges they are facing.
The leaders then joined Administrator Guzman for a tour of an SBA Business Recovery Center and spoke with local and national press about the SBA’s collaboration with federal, state, and local officials to mobilize resources to assist small businesses following the bridge collapse. Later in the afternoon, they joined a press conference with Maryland Governor Wes Moore, where Administrator Guzman provided an update on the SBA’s economic recovery efforts.
In the wake of the bridge collapse, the SBA has made low-interest, long-term Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) available to affected business owners in Maryland and contiguous counties in neighboring states to help them overcome temporary loss of revenue. So far, over 500 businesses have applied from Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and Washington, DC.
The SBA also moved swiftly to open two Business Recovery Centers (BRC) on April 1 to assist business owners in completing their disaster loan applications, accept documents for existing applications, and provide status on loan applications.
For follow-up interview requests for Administrator Guzman, please contact Rebecca Galanti at rebecca.galanti@sba.gov.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
