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FEMA Works To Help New Jersey Meet Sandy Housing Needs

TRENTON, N.J. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency and its partners are working to address the housing needs of people displaced by Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey. The top priority is to help survivors return to their homes or to help them find a safe housing alternative if returning home is not an option.

More than 16,000 households have received FEMA grants to make essential repairs to their homes.

For those who cannot return home, the goal is to help them find a rental property close by. This is better for survivors and helps the whole community recover.

Rental Assistance

More than 41,000 families have received temporary rental assistance from FEMA to help pay for an apartment, house or other temporary home. This assistance is provided while displaced survivors are working to find a permanent housing solution.

Returning to a permanent home is a significant milestone on the road to recovery. FEMA rental assistance may last for up to 18 months from the date of declaration. So it’s important for survivors to have a permanent housing plan.

FEMA has a housing portal at www.fema.gov/housingportal to help families find rental units. In addition to apartments or homes normally available, the portal identifies units provided by federal partners.

To be eligible for possible rental assistance, survivors must first register with FEMA. There are many ways to register.

Survivors can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet by using the FEMA app or going to m.fema.gov. People may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day seven days a week until further notice.

The deadline to register with FEMA is Jan. 30, 2013.

Transitional Sheltering Assistance

At the request of the state, FEMA activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program to move eligible survivors from shelters into hotels or motels if they couldn’t return to their damaged homes. TSA lodging expenses are paid directly to the hotel by FEMA.

Nearly half of the more than 5,000 households that temporarily stayed in a hotel or motel in New Jersey have moved to more sustainable housing. The average hotel/motel stay is 15 days.

The program operates in two-week increments. During each two-week period, FEMA reviews the eligibility of each applicant and emphasizes finding a more sustainable temporary housing solution as quickly as possible.

The TSA program has been extended through Jan. 11, 2013, for those who continue to meet eligibility criteria. The new extension will allow eligible applicants to remain in participating hotels during the holiday season. FEMA will call applicants eligible for the extension to notify them of the extension period and the checkout date of Jan. 11, 2013.

TSA-eligible survivors can receive help finding a hotel by calling: 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day seven days a week until further notice.

Help finding TSA participating hotels also is available online: www.femaevachotels.com.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is supporting the housing recovery.

The department increased the Fair Market Rent standard to 120 percent so families with Section 8 housing choice vouchers have more options. It also relaxed rules to allow senior housing providers to open up vacant units to Hurricane Sandy survivors under the age of 55 without jeopardizing a community’s qualification for certain legal exemptions under the Fair Housing Act.

HUD is also giving the state and communities the flexibility to redirect millions of dollars of Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships funds for housing and services for disaster survivors.

HUD has directed banks to hold off on foreclosures and forbearance of Federal Housing Administration mortgages for disaster-affected areas for 90 days following the date of the presidential disaster declaration.

Temporary Housing Units Provided by FEMA

A temporary housing unit – either a manufactured home that can be put in an existing commercial mobile home park, or a remodeled apartment unit at Fort Monmouth — is a last option when renting a property is not possible or reasonable. Decisions on direct federal housing units for survivors are made on a case-by-case basis.

Forty-five units at Fort Monmouth will soon be made available to eligible survivors. Manufactured homes will be installed as needed and as suitable pads are identified at commercial mobile home parks.

By law, federal temporary housing assistance can last only up to 18 months from the date of the disaster declaration.

Call If Your Housing Needs Change

It is critical that FEMA has your current contact information. If housing advisors cannot reach you, then they will be unable to discuss housing options with you.

If you have a continuing housing need, or if you need to update your contact information, please call by phone or 711/VRS – 800-621-3362, TTY 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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.

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FEMA Works To Help New Jersey Meet Sandy Housing Needs

Manhattan Disaster Recovery Center Opens Saturday

NEW YORK – The state of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will open a new Disaster Recovery Center in Manhattan at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, to provide

one-on-one, face-to-face help for Hurricane Sandy survivors.

The center will be located at Southbridge Towers, Store No. 10, 66 Frankfort St., New York,

NY 10038. It will be convenient not only for Manhattan residents, but also for storm survivors who live in other boroughs or counties and work in Manhattan.

Normal operational hours for the Disaster Recovery Center are:

8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday

9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday (Dec. 23 only)

Holiday hours for the center are:

8 a.m. to noon on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31)

The center will not open on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Individuals may visit the Manhattan center to obtain useful FEMA information and apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Seven weeks after Hurricane Sandy struck, more than 20 Disaster Recovery Centers remain open throughout New York. They have hosted about 105,000 survivors of the devastating storm.

To find the nearest recovery center, the following options are available: Text DRC and a Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA), and a text message will be sent back with the address. Also, check out the Disaster Recovery Center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers.

Individuals can find a recovery center – and register for FEMA help – online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet by going to m.fema.gov or downloading the FEMA app. They may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) should call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

Hurricane Sandy survivors in New York have until Jan. 28, 2013 to register for federal disaster assistance, which can include money for rent, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

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

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Manhattan Disaster Recovery Center Opens Saturday

FEMA to Maintain Presence at New SBA Center in St. John Parish

BATON ROUGE, La. — To continue serving Hurricane Isaac survivors in St. John Parish, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide assistance specialists at the SBA’s new Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC), which opens Friday in LaPlace.

“Even though the registration period ends today, we know many Louisianians still have questions regarding their applications for assistance, or simply prefer to talk with someone face to face,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “The continued presence of Individual Assistance professionals in the new SBA center highlights our commitment to helping eligible hurricane survivors here in Louisiana.”

The DLOC is located at:

2015 W. Airline Hwy.

LaPlace, LA 70068

The center opens at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30. Its hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, until further notice.

Hurricane Isaac survivors throughout Louisiana can still contact FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

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FEMA to Maintain Presence at New SBA Center in St. John Parish

Free Crisis Counseling Offers Holiday Hope for Louisiana Youth and Adults

BATON ROUGE, La. — Holidays can bring great joy — and great stress — for everyone, from toddlers to seniors. But for families disrupted by Hurricane Isaac, this year’s holiday season may bring added anxiety for children if they lost their homes, pets or treasured possessions.

While the support of their families can help many children work through their fears and sense of loss, the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) remind parents and other caregivers that free crisis counseling is available now and well into next year.

The counseling is available in the parishes designated for Individual Assistance under the major disaster declaration. The program, funded by FEMA and administered by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH), is open to any adult or child in designated parishes.

Children are particularly vulnerable to emotional stress after a disaster. Stress symptoms for all children may include excessive fear of the dark, fear of being alone, crying and constant worry. In addition to their feelings of loss, younger children may believe they somehow caused the hurricane. Depending on their developmental stage, those youngsters may not be able to express their emotions through words, so counselors who use therapies that do not rely on talking may be a better fit.

“Parents are the experts on their own children – they know when something’s out of line,” said Tom Davis, associate professor of psychology at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. “Three months after a disaster, if my child was still having difficulties, with symptoms like nightmares, flashbacks, not wanting to talk about it and always being in startle mode, I would consider counseling.”

Davis specializes in work with children’s issues, particularly child anxiety. He suggests parents and family members remember that children take their cues from the adults in their lives.

“If we’re talking about how bad things are, kids pick up on that,” Davis said. “Kids see how others respond to negative events, and model that fear, that anxiety, that worry.”

Trained counselors are provided by the network of state Human Services authorities and districts. Calls to the crisis lines are free of charge, as are face-to-face follow-up sessions for children (and adults) whose needs cannot be fully served through phone counseling.

The health department team encourages parents to help children through the season by listening and talking about their feelings, while reassuring them they are loved and that it’s OK to have these feelings. Children are resilient, and with reassurance, guidance and love, they will be able to take a life-changing event and develop the coping mechanisms to assist them in the future.

To learn more, call the DHH-Office of Behavioral Health Louisiana Spirit Crisis Line at 1-866-310-7977 or the Louisiana Behavioral Health Partnership at 1-800-424-4399.

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Free Crisis Counseling Offers Holiday Hope for Louisiana Youth and Adults

FEMA Obligates $1.1 Million to Lafourche Parish for Debris Removal

BATON ROUGE, La. – Lafourche Parish will receive a $1.1 million federal grant to help reimburse its costs for cleaning up debris from public rights of way following Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced.

The FEMA grant, totaling $1,144,692, is obligated to the parish for its work in removing and disposing of more than 107,000 cubic yards of vegetative and other debris cause by high winds and flooding during the storm.

“Cleaning up debris is an important step in the recovery process,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “This grant demonstrates our strong support for the city’s efforts to clear debris and thus protect public health and safety.”

The FEMA grant covers the federal share of the parish’s eligible costs for the work. Under a cost-sharing formula, FEMA reimburses the state for 75 percent of the total costs, while the state and/or applicant pay the remaining 25 percent.

The newly obligated funds are a portion of the more than $144.1 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for the state since the Aug. 29 declaration for Hurricane Isaac.

Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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FEMA Obligates $1.1 Million to Lafourche Parish for Debris Removal

FEMA Obligates $4.6 Million to Plaquemines Parish for Protective Measures

BATON ROUGE, La. – Plaquemines Parish will receive a $4.6 million federal grant to help reimburse expenses it incurred while protecting residents during the Hurricane Isaac disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced.

The grant, totaling $4,672,444, helps reimburse the parish for equipment, labor and contracted work associated with pumping efforts during the hurricane-related flood event.

“Plaquemines Parish made great efforts to protect lives and property during the storm,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “This grant demonstrates our strong support for those efforts and our commitment to the parish’s recovery.”

The newly obligated funds are a portion of the $59.4 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for Plaquemines Parish since the Aug. 29 declaration for Hurricane Isaac. Statewide, Public Assistance grants total $144.1 million.

Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.

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FEMA Obligates $4.6 Million to Plaquemines Parish for Protective Measures

President Declares Disaster for Commonwealth of Massachusetts

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to Massachusetts to supplement the commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy during the period of October 27 to November 8, 2012.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to the commonwealth and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Sandy in Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Plymouth, and Suffolk counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

James N. Russo has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Russo said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the commonwealth and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Follow FEMA online at 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.

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President Declares Disaster for Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Insured Rhode Islanders May Qualify for FEMA Aid

WARWICK, R.I. — Insured Rhode Islanders with Hurricane Sandy losses related to their primary homes may benefit from registering for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, because insurance may not cover all storm-related costs.

If you’re insured, you must file a claim with your insurance company and let FEMA know what your policy covers before you can be eligible for federal aid. By law, federal disaster assistance cannot duplicate insurance benefits.

When insurance doesn’t cover all your disaster related expenses FEMA may be able to help. Here are some examples:

You have Additional Living Expenses (ALE) your insurance doesn’t cover. If you were displaced from your home due to disaster damage, you may have additional living expenses for temporary housing until you are back in permanent housing (your repaired home or a new rental). Some policies–and this includes National Flood Insurance–do not provide benefits for Additional Living Expenses. Other policies may provide some coverage, but not enough. FEMA may be able to help.
You have losses that were not insured, such as: Sandy may have damaged your vehicle and you have no coverage for that. You may have been injured by the hurricane and have uninsured medical or dental expenses. You may be a student who lost your books and computer or a worker who lost tools that your insurance doesn’t cover.

After registering, many insured applicants will initially receive a letter from FEMA stating they are ineligible because they have insurance. FEMA can reconsider this determination after you provide information about storm-related losses your insurance didn’t cover. You will receive instructions on how to do this with your letter from FEMA or call the FEMA Helpline, 800-621-3362, for more information.

It’s important not to put off registering even if you don’t yet know whether insurance covers all your losses. Registration is open only until January 14. After that, even if you later discover uninsured losses, it will be too late to ask FEMA for help.

FEMA evaluates each situation on a case-by-case basis. By registering before the deadline, you will be assured of access to all available FEMA aid even if you do have insurance.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for medical and dental expenses, funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

SBA disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people with speech or hearing disabilities) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also be downloaded from www.sba.govor completed on-line at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

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Insured Rhode Islanders May Qualify for FEMA Aid

Don’t Let Misconceptions Get in the Way of Sandy Disaster Aid in R.I.

WARWICK, R.I.–Some Rhode Islanders affected by Hurricane Sandy have not registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance because of misconceptions or lack of accurate information. Here are some examples.

My insurance agent told me I wouldn’t be able to get help from FEMA because I have insurance.

If you had storm damage or other disaster losses due to the storm, you should register with FEMA. You may now or in the future have storm related costs that your insurance doesn’t cover.

I thought assistance would affect my Social Security benefits, taxes, food stamps or Medicaid.

FEMA assistance does not affect benefits from other federal programs and it is not reportable as taxable income.

I thought it was too late for me to register, since I already cleaned up and made the repairs.

You may be eligible for reimbursement of your clean up and repair expenses.

I don’t want a loan from FEMA.

FEMA makes grants to help survivors recover. These are not loans and do not have to be repaid.

I’m a renter. I heard FEMA is just for homeowners.

FEMA helps homeowners and renters with disaster-related losses.

I received disaster assistance from FEMA in 2010. I thought I couldn’t get it again this year.

If you had damage from another federally declared disaster, you may register for new assistance.

I thought my income was too high for me to qualify.

There is no income test for FEMA aid. Anyone with disaster damage or loss may be eligible for help.

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Don’t Let Misconceptions Get in the Way of Sandy Disaster Aid in R.I.

FEMA Extends Registration Deadline For New Jersey Hurricane Sandy Survivors

TRENTON, N.J. — Survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey now have until January 30, 2013 to register for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

People with storm losses in all counties can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.

Survivors also can register by phone or 711/VRS by calling 800-621-3362, TTY 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

At the request of the state, FEMA extended the registration deadline beyond the original 60 day window due to the magnitude of the Hurricane Sandy disaster.

The disaster registration process serves as a referral point for FEMA programs and those of partner agencies such as the U.S. Small Business Administration, American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

FEMA disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

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.

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FEMA Extends Registration Deadline For New Jersey Hurricane Sandy Survivors

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