In response to severe ice storms that swept through Northern Michigan from March 28-30, the U.S. Small Business Administration has opened Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in Charlevoix, Emmet, Otsego, Presque Isle and Cheboygan counties.
The outreach centers will help residents, small business owners and nonprofits apply for low-interest federal disaster loans. The loans are designed to help homeowners, renters, small businesses and nonprofits recover from storm-related damages or losses.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a disaster declaration on June 5 at the request of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. SBA representatives will be on-site at the centers to assist with applications, explain the process and answer questions. Walk-ins are welcome, or appointments can be made at appointment.sba.gov.
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Downed power poles and lines are seen on South Otsego Avenue in Gaylord on Monday, March 31, 2025.
Local disaster loan outreach center locations:
Charlevoix County: Located at the Charlevoix County Sheriff’s Office, 1000 Grant St. in Charlevoix. The center is open June 16–21. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon–Fri, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. The center closes at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 21.
Emmet County: Located at the Little Traverse Township Hall, 8288 S. Pleasantview Road in Harbor Springs. The center is open June 16–28. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon–Fri, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. It closes at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 28.
Otsego County: Located at the United Way of Otsego County, 116 E. 5th St. in Gaylord. The center is open June 16–28. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon–Fri, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. It closes at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 28.
Presque Isle County: Located at the Huron State Bank Annex, 192 N. 2nd St. in Rogers City. The center is open June 16–21. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon–Fri, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. It closes at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 21.
Cheboygan County: Located at the Indian River Chamber of Commerce, 3435 S. Straits Highway in Indian River. The center is open June 12–July 10. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon–Fri, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. It closes at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 10.
All centers will be closed on Thursday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.
“One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s mitigation loans.”
A damaged tree is seen near Petoskey on Monday, March 31, 2025.
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Loan details
Homeowners may borrow up to $500,000 to repair or replace their primary residence
Renters and homeowners may borrow up to $100,000 for personal property losses
Small businesses and private nonprofits may borrow up to $2 million for physical damage to real estate, equipment, inventory or other assets
Additional funding of up to 20% of total damage may be available for mitigation improvements, such as storm shelters or reinforced garage doors
Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, agricultural cooperatives and eligible nonprofits to cover working capital needs like payroll and bills, even if no physical damage occurred
Interest rates are as low as 2.75% for homeowners and renters, 3.62% for nonprofits and 4% for small businesses, with repayment terms of up to 30 years. No payments are due, and interest does not accrue until 12 months after the first loan disbursement.
Applicants do not need to wait for insurance settlements to apply. SBA can offer loans up to the verified loss amount, with the agreement that insurance proceeds will be used to repay part of the loan if received.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. For assistance, call the SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Key deadlines:
Aug. 8, 2025: Deadline to apply for loans related to physical damage
March 9, 2026: Deadline for economic injury loan applications
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at 231-675-0099 and adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Ice storm recovery support: SBA loan centers now open in five Northern Michigan counties