Help for Renters Who Lost Personal Property in Hurricane Sandy

TRENTON, N.J. — Renters who need to repair or replace essential items lost in Hurricane Sandy can get help from the Small Business Administration.

Many survivors are learning that their insurance is not enough to cover all of their losses. Only 43 percent of renters have insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Survivors may qualify for long-term, low-interest SBA loans to repair or replace personal property  items such as clothing, furniture, cars, or appliances damaged or destroyed in the disaster. The deadline to return a disaster loan application is Jan. 30.

Money is available for necessary expenses and serious needs caused by Hurricane Sandy that are not covered by insurance or other programs. Items such as textbooks and computers used for education, professional tools, household furnishings, disaster-related medical, dental, or funeral costs and storm damage to vehicles may qualify for FEMA grants. Renters must return their SBA loan application to be considered for these grants.

Survivors may apply online using the electronic loan application via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov/ela. For additional information, contact an SBA disaster assistance customer service center by calling 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visiting sba.gov. SBA customer service representatives are available at all disaster recovery centers throughout the state. Centers can be found online at fema.gov/DRC.

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 FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. 

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

SBA’s Disaster Assistance Program provides long term, low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes. For more information, visit www.sba.gov. All SBA’s program and services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis.