Texans affected by the August apartment complex fire in the Spring Branch neighborhood of Houston will be eligible for federal assistance following a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Governor Greg Abbott announced that his request for this declaration was approved, allowing those impacted to apply for low-interest loans to aid in recovery efforts.
“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 making several types of financial support available: Home Disaster Loans, Business Physical Disaster Loans, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). These programs offer qualifying residents and business owners access to funds needed to repair or replace property damaged in the fire.
Those seeking assistance can apply online at sba.gov/disaster or contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955. Additional information is available via email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applicants who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability can use telecommunications relay services by dialing 7-1-1.
Completed loan applications may also be mailed directly to the SBA’s Processing and Disbursement Center in Fort Worth.
To further support applicants, an SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center will open on Thursday, September 18 at 1625 Blalock Road in Houston. The center will operate weekdays from noon until 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., providing guidance on completing applications and addressing questions about loan programs.
Governor Abbott’s request for federal assistance came after an assessment showed that damage caused by the fire met federally required thresholds for disaster relief eligibility.
