Texans affected by an apartment complex fire in the Spring Branch neighborhood will be eligible for federal disaster assistance following a declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Governor Greg Abbott announced that the SBA approved his request for a disaster declaration after reviewing damage assessments from the August fire.
“Texans affected by the Spring Branch neighborhood apartment complex fire will now have access to additional resources needed to recover,” said Governor Abbott. “With this approval, impacted Texans are now eligible for low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration to help them rebuild their homes and businesses. I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management for working with our federal partners to help this community move forward.”
The SBA’s programs include Home Disaster Loans, Business Physical Disaster Loans, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), which offer low-interest loans to individuals and businesses who suffered losses due to the fire.
Applications can be submitted online at sba.gov/disaster, or applicants may call (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information. Those with hearing or speech disabilities can use telecommunications relay services by dialing 7-1-1. Completed applications may also be mailed to the SBA Processing and Disbursement Center in Fort Worth.
To assist residents, an SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center will open at 1625 Blalock Road in Houston starting Thursday, September 18 at noon. The center will operate weekdays from noon to 6:00 PM and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, providing guidance on loan applications and answering questions about available assistance.
Governor Abbott requested the SBA declaration on September 9 after state officials determined that damages met federal requirements for aid eligibility.
