Residents and business affected by a four-alarm fire at an apartment complex in Brookline last month are now eligible for SBA disaster assistance.

The Jan. 16 blaze started in the basement of a Beacon Street apartment complex and quickly spread upward through the older building, injuring one resident and four firefighters. The fire damaged 20 apartments in the building, according to reports.

The SBA said it was offering assistance after a Feb. 15 letter from Gov. Deval Patrick requested an SBA disaster declaration, according to a statement. The declaration covers residents of Norfolk County and the adjacent counties of Bristol, Middlesex, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester in Massachusetts; and Providence County in Rhode Island.

"The SBA is strongly committed to providing the people of Massachusetts with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes with federal disaster loans," SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills said in a statement. "Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA."

The agency said loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are also eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Interest rates are as low as 2.063 percent for homeowners and renters, 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for businesses, with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition, the agency said.

As a result of the disaster declaration, the SBA has established a disaster loan outreach center at the Brookline Public Health Department’s offices at 11 Pierce St. The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is April 23. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Nov. 21.