Governor Abbott seeks disaster aid for Fort Worth Cooper apartment fire victims

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has requested a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration for tenants affected by The Cooper apartments fire in Fort Worth.

The fire, which broke out June 23 on the roof of a five-story building where an HVAC unit was being repaired, displaced more than 800 residents.

Abbott initially started the process on June 30, when he announced a preliminary damage assessment.

If the disaster declaration is approved, federal assistance will be available through SBA disaster programs that provide low-interest loans to those who qualify.

“The devastation caused by the Fort Worth apartment fire has left many Texans facing significant loss and hardship,” Abbott said in a news release.

In a statement to the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience, Abbott said that on July 1, a damage assessment was conducted by the SBA, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and Tarrant County to find out the extent and types of assistance needed.

The survey revealed that at least 304 homes and one business suffered major damage, resulting in uninsured losses exceeding 40 percent.

Near Southside Inc., Fort Worth District 9 Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck’s office, and the Tarrant County United Way have organized a relief fund for the residents. Megan Henderson, director of events and communications for Near Southside Inc., said that they have reached their goal.

“We were able to raise just north of our $100,000 goal,” Henderson said. “The application for financial aid closed on July 9 and we immediately began reviewing applications and notifying those who applied that we would be offering them financial aid through the United Way fund.”

Tenant Lauren Garcia said that tenants were able to pick up refund checks from the apartment management company Cushman and Wakefield. The checks reimbursed them for their security deposits and a portion of their June rent payments, she said.

Garcia said that tenants are still waiting to hear when they can go into their apartments and retrieve their belongings.

Garcia, who organized a protest and Town Hall meeting for residents, said she was able to rent a new apartment but it’s still empty because she has nothing from her apartment at The Cooper.

She said tenants heard from security at the apartments that management might be changing, but that the tenants have not received any communication from Cushman and Wakefield about a change in management.

This story was originally published July 16, 2025 at 3:41 PM.