Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus Co-Chairs Neguse and Curtis Urge SBA to Expand Access to Critical Federal Disaster Assistance
In a letter signed by nearly a dozen western lawmakers, the Co-Chairs cited the need to cut through the red tape and enhance recovery services for the American people.
Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Joe Neguse (D-CO) and John Curtis (R-UT), Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, led western lawmakers in a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) requesting the agency extend the time periods during which affected individuals may apply for SBA physical damage loans following a presidential disaster declaration. Presidential disaster declarations are issued soon after any occasion or instance when the President determines federal assistance is needed, including wildfires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, extreme storms, and more. In the letter, the Representatives cited concerns raised by constituents who noted that the narrow time frame between when disaster strikes and when applications are due is insufficient for those trying to recover.
In the hours that followed Colorado’s Marshall Fire in 2021, Rep. Neguse worked with Colorado Governor Jared Polis and President Joe Biden to ensure an expedited Major Disaster Declaration was issued and that Individual Assistance would be approved to provide financial assistance to all uninsured or underinsured households. However, eligible businesses, homeowners, renters, and nonprofit organizations were only given 60 days to submit applications for SBA physical damage loans.
“The SBA plays a critical role in supporting survivors of natural disasters and serves as a lifeline for so many people after experiencing tremendous loss. However, we are concerned that the current deadlines for loan applications are incompatible with the real-life experiences of many of our constituents immediately following a disaster and do not allow enough time for individuals to understand whether or not they require assistance from the SBA,” wrote the lawmakers.
The letter continued: “Many of our constituents have expressed that they could have benefitted from the SBA disaster loan program, but could not meet the application deadline, given the ongoing stressors in their lives following the disaster. Furthermore, many have expressed that they did not know at the time of the deadline that they would need to apply for a disaster loan given the delays in receiving an estimate from their insurance company. As a result, the current average two to three-month deadlines put in place for these disaster loan applications have led to many constituents facing crippling financial hardship and unnecessary bureaucratic red tape after such a tragic experience. By extending the disaster loan program deadline, the SBA will be able to enhance services to the American people concerning disaster recovery, and we therefore request that you consider extending these deadlines.”
The letter was co-signed by several members of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, including Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA), Josh Harder (D-CA), Val Hoyle (D-OR), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Katie Porter (D-CA), Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), and Dina Titus (D-NV).
Read the full letter HERE.
Background
Colorado’s Marshall Fire, which began on December 30, 2021, claimed over 1,000 homes, and caused an estimated $2 billion in total damages, making it the most devastating and costliest fire in state history. Congressman Neguse has been instrumental in ensuring impacted households have the support necessary to rebuild and recover. In the years that followed, Rep. Neguse has helped to secure over $11 billion in federal funds related to helping families and communities across Louisville, Superior, and Unincorporated Boulder County.
Rep. Neguse has also fought to secure proper cost coverage in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire. Alongside Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, Rep. Neguse led a successful effort to get the SBA to update their formula used to calculate the Disaster Loan Program amount survivors can borrow to rebuild after the Marshall Fire. Rep. Neguse and the Colorado senators were also able to get FEMA to agree to cover the costs of removing foundations, basements and burned vehicles damaged in the Marshall Fire. This coverage is extremely rare and has only been granted for a handful of other wildfires in recent years.
###