Renters Advised to Register for Disaster Assistance

Warren, Mich. – Southeast Michigan homeowners and renters who lost personal property as a result of the August severe storms and flooding may be eligible for disaster-related assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies.

Renters who suffered damage to their apartment or leased/rented house are encouraged to contact FEMA.  

“August flooding didn’t discriminate between homeowners and renters,” said Michigan State Police Capt. Chris A. Kelenske, State Coordinating Officer and Deputy State Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. “Thanks to rental-support programs, Michiganders who sustained flood damage could be eligible for assistance.”

Through Housing Assistance, FEMA offers two types of help to eligible renters:

• Money to rent a different place to live for a limited period while repairs are done to the damaged home or apartment
• A free referral service to find a safe replacement rental property

“As Michigan renters are discovering, disaster aid is not limited to homeowners,” said Dolph A. Diemont, federal coordinating officer. “Thousands of renters have registered with FEMA and are currently receiving rental assistance as they rebuild their lives.”

Both renters and homeowners may also be eligible for Other Needs Assistance (ONA), designed to help disaster survivors with uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster. ONA grants can be used for:

• Disaster-related medical and dental expenses
• Disaster-related funeral and burial expenses
• Replacement or repair of necessary personal property lost or damaged, household items such as room furnishings or appliances, and tools and equipment required by the
  self-employed for their jobs
• Primary vehicles and approved second vehicles damaged by the disaster
• Reimbursement for eligible child care services

Filling out a U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application is a necessary step for homeowners and renters to be considered for additional recovery programs. If the SBA is unable to approve a loan, the applicant may be referred back to FEMA for other types of disaster aid.

To qualify for any of this assistance, renters must first register with FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov, via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov or by calling 800-621-3362 or TTY users call 800-462-7585. For 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.

Those with questions about the SBA loan application should call the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or TTY users call 800-877-8339. Survivors can also apply online using the electronic loan applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

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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 twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

English: http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4195
Spanish: http://www.fema.gov/es/disaster/4195