SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently opened two Business Recovery Centers (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.
“SBA’s Business Recovery Centers are a cornerstone of our support for business owners,” says Francisco Sánchez Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “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.”
Walk-ins are accepted, but the SBA suggests residents schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov. The BRC locations and hours of operation are:
- Women’s Business Center, 18700 Sherman Way, Ste. 112, Reseda, CA 91335; parking is available at back of building on Yolanda Avenue. It’s open Mondays through Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PST.
- Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, 2525 Main St., Ste. 103, Santa Monica, CA 90405. It’s open Mondays through Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.
Eligible small businesses and PNPs of any size are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans, the SBA says in its release, 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 of up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property and up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.
Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for PNPs, and 2.563% for homeowners and renters, the SBA says, 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.
Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation. Eligible 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.
Its Disaster Loan Program funding was replenished via the American Relief Act, 2025, which was signed into law on Dec. 21. Within six hours of the Act being signed, the SBA issued more than 21,000 outstanding commitment letters (loan offers), it says. It will continue to issue new loan offers and ensure survivors quickly understand their loan options.
“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,” the SBA says in its statement. “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.”
Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Telecommunications relay services are available for those who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability.
March 10 is the filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage, while the deadline to return economic injury applications is Oct. 8.
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