A recently approved federal low-interest loan program provides another path for Mount Vernon residents to rebuild their lives after the devastating fire that destroyed their apartment building last month, County Executive Ken Jenkins said.

Jenkins thanked Gov. Hochul and Westchester’s congressional delegation for their work in securing a federal Physical
Disaster Declaration associated with the November 23 fire on Cottage Avenue. The declaration enables tenants and others potentially impacted by the fire to access low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Association.

“The SBA loan program is another option for those who are trying to replace personal possessions and move forward
in their lives,” Jenkins said. SBA personnel are on site at the Holmes Elementary School to help residents with the application process, which can also be completed online. The governor’s office said 88 apartments sustained a combined $1.8 million in damages from the fire.

Under the SBA program, renters may borrow up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal
property. Other groups that may be eligible for low-interest SBA disaster loans are any homeowners, business owners and non-profit organizations impacted by the fire.

The Westchester County Department of Social Services has been at the Holmes Elementary School shelter since the
fire occurred in order to assist residents with temporary housing, food assistance and other immediate needs. Jenkins said DSS staff will remain at Holmes after the SBA arrives, allowing residents to access a variety of services and support in a single location.

“Our federal representatives, New York State, the County’s Department of Social Services and Department of Emergency Services, and the City of Mount Vernon continue to work in partnership to help those who lost their homes in the November fire,” he said.