Governor Greg Abbott has formally asked the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to issue a disaster declaration for residents affected by an apartment complex fire in Houston’s Spring Branch neighborhood last month.
“Texas stands with those affected by the Spring Branch neighborhood apartment complex fire that occurred last month,” Governor Abbott said. “Today, I requested that the U.S. Small Business Administration issue a disaster declaration to provide federal assistance for those whose homes or businesses were damaged. Alongside our federal partners, Texas will provide all necessary resources to help Texans rebuild and recover from this fire.”
If approved, the SBA would offer low-interest loans through its federal disaster programs to Texans who suffered direct losses due to the fire.
The request comes after local, state, and federal officials conducted an analysis of damage in the affected communities. Their findings confirmed that the impact from the fire meets federally required thresholds for SBA assistance.
