Here is some potentially good news for victims of the fire at Windermere Court Apartments.

Governor Tom Corbett has called upon the Small Business Administration to declare Philadelphia a disaster area so that low-interest loans can be made available to victims.

“The apartment building was home to students, families and retirees who now have nothing left. In order to help these victims recover from this disaster, I have asked the federal Small Business Administration to make low-interest disaster loans available to help replace lost and damaged property,” Corbett said in a statement issued yesterday. “I urge the SBA to take prompt action on this request.”

If Corbett’s request is granted, the SBA would make low interest, long-term loans available of up to $40,000 to replace personal property. The loans are based on each applicant’s financial qualifications.

The question that will likely arise for many made homeless by the fire is their status on the lease. We had heard that some residents were not listed on leases and we are still trying to figure out how that would affect their eligibility for a loan or other aid.