FEMA’s Partners Helping Fund Housing Repairs in NYC

NEW YORK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency is just one part of the disaster recovery team. A variety of local, state and federal resources are available to help New Yorkers repair or rebuild their homes.

FEMA has approved $700 million in housing assistance for individuals and families. The assistance can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

To be considered for eligibility, Hurricane Sandy survivors in New York should register before the Jan. 28, 2013 deadline.

Individuals can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.

They may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. People who use 7-1-1 Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) may call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate

24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

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The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York has made $1 billion in Disaster Relief Funding available to 340 community based lenders to help rebuild in the states of New York and New Jersey. The funding is available to be used as immediate “gap financing.” The $1 billion CLP commitment can be used for any residential lending activity for households whose incomes are at or below 115 percent of the area median income.

The funds can be used for Public/Private infrastructure projects, such as roads, utilities and sewers. For more information, visit: www.fhlbny.com/.

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Community Development Corporation of Long Island is offering an emergency home repair loan fund that is available to assist homeowners with loans up to $5,000 for homeowners whose incomes are under 120 percent of the area median income, roughly at or below $129,000 for a family of four. For more information, visit: www.cdcli.org/.

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Governor Cuomo’s Disaster Homeownership Repair and Rebuilding Fund.

This is a grant and does not require repayment. 

The grant can provide up to an additional $10,000 for survivors who have already qualified for FEMA housing assistance and received the maximum grant of $31,900, and the FEMA award did not cover the full cost of making essential repairs.

This funding cannot duplicate assistance received from other governmental agencies or insurance.

The survivors eligible for this assistance will be referred from FEMA to the state and contacted directly.

For more information on this program, visit: http://scoem.suffolkcountyny.gov/OEM/DisasterHomeownershipRepairandRebuildingFund.aspx.

For more information about how New York State can help you, call: (855) 697-7263.

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

To expand housing options for families displaced by Hurricane Sandy, HUD is allowing local public housing agencies to increase their rent payment standard up to 120 percent of the published “Fair Market Rent” (FMR), thereby giving low-income families more options in finding available housing. For families impacted by Hurricane Sandy, HUD is granting a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and forbearance on foreclosures of FHA-insured home mortgages. For more information on HUD, visit hportal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD.

Home Affordable Modification Program

Homeowners struggling to stay in their homes may be eligible to apply for the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) in order to lower their monthly mortgage payments and make them more affordable.

Homeowners should contact their mortgage servicer as soon as possible to begin the HAMP evaluation process.

In order to help with the housing crunch, homeowner eligibility has been widened to include:

• Homeowners who are applying for a modification on a home that is not their primary residence, but the property is currently rented or the homeowner intends to rent it.
• Homeowners who previously did not qualify for HAMP because their debt-to-income ratio was 31 percent or lower.
• Homeowners who previously received a HAMP trial period plan, but defaulted in their trial payments.
• Homeowners who previously received a HAMP permanent modification, but defaulted in their payments, therefore losing good standing. 

For more information visit: http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/programs/lower-payments/Pages/hamp.aspx

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The U.S. Small Business Administration is providing low-interest disaster loans of up to $200,000 for qualified homeowners to repair or replace damaged real estate. In addition, renters and homeowners may get up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged personal property. For more information, visit www.sba.gov/disaster.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is providing low-interest disaster loans of up to $200,000 for qualified homeowners to repair or replace damaged real estate. In addition, renters and homeowners may get up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged personal property. For more information, visit www.sba.gov/disaster.