Texas Back in Business seeking applications from Hurricane Harvey-affected small businesses

HOUSTON—Texas Back in Business has received about 1,000 applications from small businesses damaged by Hurricane Harvey since its announcement about the launch of applications for a new federally-funded program awarding from $50,000 up to $250,000 in disaster relief. The Texas Back in Business program launched on Monday, December 2, 2019, and qualified Texas small business owners have until March 2, 2020, to apply at no cost online at TexasBackInBusiness.com.

"We know that many Texas small businesses are still suffering from the cataclysmic blow dealt by Hurricane Harvey," said CEO of Texas Back in Business Dan Slane. "We are receiving a record amount of calls, emails, and applications from businesses that still need help in the recovery to stabilize, create and protect jobs for local workers, and continue to grow the economies of those areas hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey."

Texas Back in Business funds may create or retain much-needed jobs, and can be used for operating capital, repairs, inventory, machinery, equipment, supplies and other expenses directly related to the business.

To meet the minimum eligibility requirements, a small business must:

• Have been in business on August 25, 2017;
• Be defined as a small business by the Small Business Administration;
• Have experienced damage from Hurricane Harvey; and
• Be located in one of the 49 Hurricane Harvey impacted counties deemed eligible by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for disaster recovery funds.

Texas small business owners can still apply for the program at no cost online at TexasBackInBusiness.com. Potential applicants can review the FAQ section of the website to learn more about the program requirements and what will be needed to successfully complete the application process. If their business meets the basic qualifications, applicants will be entered in a random selection process to give all applicants an equal opportunity for the program. If selected, applicants will then be contacted via email to schedule an office or site visit with a grant officer to confirm the business's qualifications for funding approval and amount of grant qualification.

This program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR). In the state's Hurricane Harvey CDBG-DR action plan, the Texas General Land Office allocated $100 million for an economic revitalization program to help small businesses impacted by Hurricane Harvey. For more information, please visit TexasBackInBusiness.com.

UPDATE: To qualify for a grant the required damage from Hurricane Harvey is not limited to physical damage. Following up on this article, the newspaper contacted them for clarification of what constitutes Harvey damage, and in reply their media spokesperson said the grants cover “both physical and economic damage, plus any funds borrowed to help the businesses overcome damages from Harvey.”