WASHINGTON, Nov. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, on the heels of her latest disaster visit to the state of Alaska, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced that the agency closed Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) with $6 billion in assistance delivered to disaster survivors. Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, and as the federal government’s largest disaster lender, the agency approved over 51,000 disaster loans to help homeowners, renters, businesses, and private nonprofits recover from wildfires, storms, and other declared disasters – with an average loan approval time of just 17 days. This includes critical support for major events such as Hurricane Helene and the Los Angeles wildfires. Disaster aid is also now available to survivors of the recent catastrophic storms in Alaska.
“The Trump SBA is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with disaster survivors across America, delivering rapid and robust support to help them rebuild and thrive,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “Since Day One, President Trump has prioritized faster and stronger disaster assistance – as he underscored during his first trips after inauguration to support survivors of Hurricane Helene and the Los Angeles wildfires. In furtherance of that commitment, we have reorganized the SBA’s disaster recovery efforts under the leadership of Associate Administrator Chris Stallings – cutting red tape, streamlining approvals, enforcing strong fraud protections, and ending discriminatory lending practices as we help communities rebuild from coast to coast.”
The majority of SBA’s FY25 disaster loans were approved after President Trump took office, reflecting the Administration’s rapid mobilization to deliver relief where it’s needed most. Since January 20, SBA has approved over 27,700 disaster loans, representing more than $4.6 billion in capital available to survivors nationwide.
California received significant support in FY25, with Los Angeles County accounting for a substantial share of the national total. The agency was recently forced to extend its disbursement period for wildfire survivors there due to the failure of state and local permitting offices that have prevented rebuilding efforts for thousands of survivors.
Unlike the prior Administration in FY24, the agency did not run out of disaster relief funds – and successfully managed taxpayer dollars to ensure adequate support for American citizens. In addition to responsible stewardship, the agency also prioritized ending discriminatory lending practices by eliminating a regulation, previously upheld by the Biden Administration, that unlawfully banned faith-based organizations from receiving SBA disaster loans.
Key milestones from FY25 include:
- Hurricane Helene: More than 18,586 loans approved for $1.77 billion to help families and businesses in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and other affected states recover from the historic storm’s widespread flooding and wind damage.
- Los Angeles Wildfires: More than 12,000 loans for $3.2 billion, supporting California survivors in rebuilding homes, businesses, and infrastructure impacted by the devastating wildfires.
Following President Trump’s recent presidential disaster declaration, the agency is also now offering low interest federal disaster loans to Alaska businesses, private nonprofit (PNP) organizations and residents affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and remnants of Typhoon Halong beginning Oct. 8. To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Related programs: Disaster
SBA HQ Press Team U.S. Small Business Administration press_office@sba.gov
