SBA disaster aid approved for Fort Worth Cooper apartment fire victims
Low-interest loans for residents affected by The Cooper apartments fire in Fort Worth are now available after the U.S. Small Business Administration approved Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s request for a disaster declaration, the governor’s office said in a news release Friday.
Starting July 21, SBA representatives will be at a Disaster Loan Outreach Center, located at 1100 Hemphill St., to answer questions and help with the application process. The center will be open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to the release.
The six-alarm 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 tenants.
On June 30, Abbott announced a preliminary assessment to determine if the damage met the federal threshold for disaster assistance.
“I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management for working with our federal partners to ensure Texans have the resources they need to recover from this fire,” Abbott said in the news release Friday.
Applicants can apply online through the SBA’s website or contact 800-659-2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information.
Displaced Cooper tenants have repeatedly expressed their frustration with what they call a lack of accountability and support from Cushman and Wakefield, the company that manages the apartment complex.
Residents have also told the Star-Telegram that they have many unanswered questions.
They want to know what role the HVAC maintenance played in the fire, they want to know what Cushman and Wakefield knew about maintenance concerns, and when they knew it, and they want more information from the building’s owners.
The Star-Telegram has reached out to the owners of The Cooper apartments, Lightbulb Capital Group, which listed the apartment complex and others in North Texas as their property online. Lightbulb Capital has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
