The state has extended the deadline to apply for several 2008 disaster recovery programs for business owners and landlords. Tina Potthoff of the Rebuild Iowa Office says the deadlines have been moved to December 31st of this year. She says the programs extended include the “Commercial Rental Revenue Gap Assistance Program,” which helps commercial building owners compensate for lost revenue due to the disaster, another is the “Residential Landlord Business Support Program,” which helps landlords who lost rental income, and there’s the “Loan Interest Supplement Program,” which helps pay the interest on an S-B-A or private loan for disaster recovery.

While it has been two years since the flooding hit, Potthoff says they felt it was important to extend the deadline for the programs.

Potthoff says they’ve heard from Iowans who’re still recovering from this disaster and she says some of the programs take some time to get the paperwork done, and some people are just getting around to doing the paperwork. Potthoff says some people may wonder if they qualify for the programs and a simple phone call can help them out.

Potthoff says individuals, landlords, or business owners can call the Rebuild Iowa Office at 515-242-5004, or log onto the website at: www.RIO.Iowa.gov.

You can also find a summary of the programs on the Iowa Department of Economic Development website at:www.iowalifechanging.com. Click on “Disaster Recovery Assistance” at the bottom right-hand corner, then “Disaster Recovery Business Assistance Programs.”