Oak Forest fire aid: Berks County SBA deadline Aug. 24
Households and businesses hit by the June 11 Oak Forest apartment fire can get federal loans and state grants. Key deadlines: July 16, Aug. 24, Sept. 27.
Households and businesses affected by the June 11 fire at the Oak Forest Apartment Complex in Muhlenberg Township can apply for federal disaster loans and state grants. The dates that matter: the walk-in loan center closes July 16, SBA physical-damage loan applications are due August 24, and state grant applications are due September 27.
The fire at 2251 and 2271 Hampden Boulevard displaced about 50 residents. No one was injured.
What's available
| Program | Who it's for | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SBA disaster loan (residence) | Homeowners | Up to $500,000 |
| SBA disaster loan (personal property) | Homeowners and renters | Up to $100,000 |
| SBA disaster loan (business) | Businesses and nonprofits | Up to $2 million |
| SBA economic injury loan (EIDL) | Small businesses and nonprofits with economic losses | Case by case |
| PA Disaster Recovery Assistance Program (DRAP) | Lower-income homeowners and renters, uninsured or underinsured | Grants up to $15,000 |
SBA loans are low-interest with terms up to 30 years. DRAP grants, run through PEMA, cover temporary housing, rent, and replacing essential personal property, and do not have to be repaid.
How to apply
- In person, through July 16: the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center at Chabad-Lubavitch of Berks County, 2320 Hampden Boulevard, Reading, is open weekdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Staff help with applications on the spot.
- Online or by phone anytime: apply at sba.gov under Pennsylvania disaster number PA-20030, or call 1-800-659-2955 (email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov).
- Mind the deadlines: physical-damage loan applications by Monday, August 24, 2026; economic-injury applications by March 24, 2027; DRAP grant applications by September 27, 2026 through PEMA.
Renters are eligible for the personal-property loans and the DRAP grants, a point the programs' names obscure.
The county government angle
The county's role has been coordination and referral: its emergency services worked the June 11 fire, and its June 30 release publicized the federal loan programs. The response money itself is federal (SBA) and state (PEMA). If commissioners take further action for displaced residents, we will cover it in our meeting coverage; how county emergency management fits into the bigger budget is in our budget report.