Community Disaster Loan Program Aids Pennsylvania Municipalities 

Release Date: March 22, 2012
Release Number: 4025-135

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HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Disaster Loan (CDL) program is helping three hard-hit Pennsylvania municipalities deal with the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

The CDL program is providing direct loans to local governments that have suffered a substantial loss of tax and other revenues as the result of Irene and Lee. Athens Borough, Middletown Borough, and Shickshinny Borough are participating in the short-term, low-interest loan program.

“These boroughs were among the hardest-hit,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Thomas J. McCool. “The CDL program is specifically for those communities where disaster damage has threatened essential municipal services.”

The loans are available up to $5 million, or 25 percent of a municipality’s annual operating budget for the year in which the disaster occurred. The loan’s interest rate is currently under one percent.

McCool said the funds must be used to maintain existing government services, or to expand those services to meet disaster-related needs.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Last Modified: Thursday, 22-Mar-2012 10:45:20