When the river began to rise last month in Asheville, North Carolina, Lucious Wilson stood on a nearby hill and watched as his brewery slowly vanished in the floodwaters generated by Hurricane Helene.
“We need help,” he told NBC News this week, standing near the ruins of his business, Wedge Brewery. “We don’t need politics.”
But a key source of federal aid may not be available any time soon for those affected by the recent hurricanes. About 54,000 have applied for low-interest loans from a disaster fund operated by the Small Business Administration, but the money has all dried up.
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Biden administration officials are pressuring Congress to return a few weeks early to approve new funds, but it's unlikely to happen given the focus on the November election, experts say.
That means the applicants would not receive any money until after Congress reconvenes on Nov. 12.
The situation underscores how federal programs have been handicapped by the passage of stopgap funding bills in Congress rather than yearlong measures. The SBA disaster loan fund remains a major source of money for businesses obliterated by natural disasters, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Despite the funding issues, administration officials have urged people affected by the storms to apply for the loans. The SBA will continue to process and vet the loan applications so money can be made available as soon as possible — most likely within four days of Congress’ replenishing it, officials say.
“We know that swift financial relief can help communities recover quickly to stabilize local economies,” SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman said Tuesday. “While we await Congress to provide much-needed funding, we strongly encourage eligible businesses and households to apply for SBA disaster loans. "
In an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker on Sunday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said there will be no delay.
“Congress will not leave small-business owners wanting,” said Johnson, R-La., noting that it typically takes two weeks for applications to be approved and money disbursed.
"We’re 23 days out from the election," he said. "That will coincide almost perfectly, I think, with the time for most of these applications to even begin and many of them to be processed now.”
The more than 50,000 applicants are individuals, households, nonprofit groups and businesses. Before the funding ran out, about 750 had been approved to receive loan money totaling $48 million, according to the SBA.
The aid is provided in the form of low interest loans “to repair, rebuild and recover from uninsured, underinsured or otherwise uncompensated economic losses after a declared disaster,” according to the agency. The first repayment is deferred for a year, its website says.
One part of the program was the subject of $78 billion in fraud during the pandemic, according to the agency's inspector general. Since then, the SBA has taken steps to strengthen its vetting process, officials say.
Wilson, the Asheville brewery owner, said he's focused on getting his second location back up and running. He's reluctant to apply for an SBA loan because of his precarious financial situation.
Earlier this week, Wilson grew emotional when he acknowledged that he may never be able to rebuild his original business.
"To be honest, I have a hard time thinking about it," he said, "because it makes me cry."
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