Ryan Ray
The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved a request by Gov. Rick Scott for a disaster declaration in seven central Florida counties, according to the governor’s office.
The declaration, announced Thursday afternoon, covers Orange, Brevard, Lake, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties.
It comes as local economies cope with the economic aftermath of last week’s fatal mass shooting in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, now the nation’s largest ever public gun attack.
Businesses in the aforementioned counties are eligible to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans, publicly backed loans of up to $2 million to help meet “financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred.”
Distressed business owners in eastern central Florida can also apply for Department of Economic Opportunity’s Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program. Scott activated that state-funded mechanism back on June 17.
Businesses interested in applying for the federal SBA loans can do so at the agency’s website.
