The Washington Post noted in an article that the SBA is providing a steady flow of new loans in the Washington D.C. area that is helping some institutions return to the pace of lending that was common in the pre-boom years.

The Post said that through the three months ended December 31, 2011, 126 loans totaling $43.4 million were made to local mom-and-pop shops, comparable to loans issued during the early 2000s, according to the SBA. The volume is still below the soaring numbers from 2006 and 2007.

To read the full text of the Washington Post story, click here.