Did You Receive HUD Rental Assistance Before the Flood? You May Still Get FEMA Help

BATON ROUGE, La. – You may be able to get FEMA help even if you were receiving U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rental assistance before you were displaced from your home by Louisiana’s recent severe storms and floods.

You can apply for FEMA help even if you were receiving any of the following types of rental assistance and your home is uninhabitable:

• Living in HUD-assisted public housing.

• Living in a privately-owned apartment that provides rental assistance from HUD.

• Living in a private home using a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher from a housing authority.

Here is some FEMA assistance you may receive if you’re eligible:

• Temporary assistance to pay for a place for you and your family to live.

• Grants to replace essential contents—such as clothing and essential household items—and medical, dental and burial expenses.

Those who have HUD rental assistance may receive FEMA help to pay for a place to live until:

• You relocate back to public housing;

• You relocate back to the private housing that provides HUD assistance; or

• You sign a lease with a private property owner using a Section 8 voucher.

The first step to be considered for FEMA help is to apply. There are three ways:                     

• Log onto DisasterAssistance.gov with any computer, smartphone or tablet.

• Download and use the FEMA app. You can also use the app to check the status of your application.

• If you cannot access the website or FEMA app, call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use TTY, call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

###

We urge everyone to continue to use caution in areas where floodwaters remain. Monitor DOTD’s www.511la.org website for updated road closure information. Look for advisories from your local authorities and emergency managers. You can find the latest information on the state’s response at www.emergency.la.gov. GOHSEP also provides information on Facebook and Twitter. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. You can also download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.  Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at SBA.gov/disaster Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.