Illinois home and business owners affected by recent civil unrest in six Chicago-area counties need to apply soon for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The deadline to apply for physical property damage loans is Aug. 24.

The SBA loans will cover damages that occurred to private and commercial property between May 26 and June 8 in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. The interest rates are as low as 3 percent for businesses, 2.75 percent for nonprofit organizations and 1.25 percent for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years, the SBA says.

To apply for assistance, REALTORS® can visit the SBA’s secure website 24 hours a day or call 571-422-6016 or 470-363-6079, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday Central Time. Businesses and individuals may also obtain information and loan applications by contacting the SBA customer service center at 1-800-659-2955 or emailing to [email protected].

Hearing impaired individuals can call 1-800-659-8339.

Customer service representatives are available for one-on-one assistance by appointment. Information can also be obtained by sending an email message to [email protected].

Loan applications can be downloaded at www.sba.gov, printed, completed and mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.