Texans affected by an apartment complex fire in the Spring Branch neighborhood will now be eligible for federal assistance following a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Governor Greg Abbott announced that the SBA approved his request for the declaration, which makes low-interest loans available to those impacted by 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 is offering Home Disaster Loans, Business Physical Disaster Loans, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to qualifying residents and business owners who suffered losses in the fire. These programs provide financial support for rebuilding homes and businesses as well as addressing economic injury caused by the disaster.
Applications can be submitted online at sba.gov/disaster or by contacting the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Assistance is also available for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability through telecommunications relay services by dialing 7-1-1. Completed applications may be mailed to the U.S. Small Business Administration Processing and Disbursement Center in Fort Worth.
A Disaster Loan Outreach Center will open on Thursday, September 18 at 1625 Blalock Road in Houston to help applicants with their submissions and answer questions about loan programs. The center will operate weekdays from noon to 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Governor Abbott requested federal assistance on September 9 after state officials confirmed that damage from the fire met federal thresholds required for SBA support.
