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Service to end at Disaster Recovery Center in Brooklyn

NEW YORK – Hurricane Sandy survivors in New York have until 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, to visit the Disaster Recovery Center at the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church, 9719 Flatlands Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11236.

The State of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency closely monitor visitor traffic at all New York Disaster Recovery Centers. Traffic at the Flatlands Avenue center has slowed, indicating the information needs of survivors in the area have mostly been met. So far, nearly 4,500 survivors have visited the center.

The center’s remaining hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, Friday, Jan. 25, and Saturday, Jan. 26, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27.

Survivors who need help may still visit any of the other centers that remain open throughout New York, including five in Brooklyn. To find the nearest 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, the Disaster Recovery Center locator is available online at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers.

Individuals also 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 by downloading the FEMA app.

Survivors also can call 800-621-3362 (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 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST, 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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Service to end at Disaster Recovery Center in Brooklyn

Hurricane Sandy Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation for Cameron County

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Hurricane Sandy Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation briefings for designated counties in Pennsylvania began this week, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

A briefing for Cameron County officials will be held on Friday, Jan. 25 in Emporium.

DATE:

Friday, Jan. 25

TIME:

10 a.m.

LOCATION:

Cameron County Courthouse

20 E. Fifth St.

Emporium, PA 15834

All seven categories of Public Assistance (A-G) are now available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for eligible expenditures. Projects may include emergency work, debris removal and repair or replacement of damaged roads, bridges and other elements of the infrastructure. Public Assistance funding also covers partial or complete repair of schools and other critical functions such as public water tanks or sewer systems. Projects will be approved only if they are necessary as a direct result of Hurricane Sandy during the time period from Oct. 26 to Nov. 8, 2012.

In cases where small improvements may reduce the risk of future disaster damage, FEMA may pay for cost-effective mitigation measures. For example, FEMA may cover the cost of such projects as increasing the size of a culvert if the increase could prevent future flooding. Otherwise, FEMA generally pays only to bring facilities back to pre-disaster condition.

Category A: Debris Removal

Removal of obtrusive items on public property, including trees, woody debris, sand, mud, silt, gravel, building components, wreckage, vehicles and personal property to eliminate an immediate threat to lives, public health and safety. An example of an eligible project is the removal of debris from a street or highway to allow the safe passage of emergency vehicles. An example of an ineligible project is the pre-disaster sediment from engineered channels.

Category B: Emergency Protective Measures

Emergency Protective Measures are actions taken by applicants before, during and after a disaster to save lives, protect public health and safety, and prevent damage to improved public and private property. Emergency communications, emergency access and emergency public transportation costs may also be eligible. These can include such projects as search and rescue, sandbagging and removal of health and safety hazards.

Category C: Roads and Bridges

Roads (paved, gravel, and dirt) are eligible for permanent repair or replacement, unless they are Federal-aid roads. Eligible work includes repair to surfaces, bases, shoulders, ditches, culverts, low water crossings and other features, such as guardrails. Damage to the road must be disaster-related to be eligible for repair. Eligible work includes repairs to such elements as piers and approaches.

Category D: Water Control Facilities

Water control facilities include such elements as dams and reservoirs, levees and engineered drainage channels. Restoration of the carrying capacity of engineered channels and debris basins may be eligible, but maintenance records or surveys must be produced to show the pre-disaster capacity of these facilities.

Category E: Buildings and Equipment

Buildings, including contents such as furnishings and interior systems such as electrical work, are eligible for repair or replacement. FEMA may also pay for the replacement of library books and publications. Removal of mud, silt, or other accumulated debris is eligible, along with any cleaning and painting necessary to restore the building.

If an insurance policy applies to a facility, FEMA will deduct from eligible costs the amount of insurance proceeds, actual or anticipated, before providing funds for restoration of the facility.

Category F: Utilities

Typical utilities include

• Water treatment plants and delivery systems

• Power generation and distribution facilities, including generators, substations and power lines

• Sewage collection systems and treatment plants

• Telecommunications

Category G: Parks, Recreational Facilities and Other Items

Repair and restoration of parks, playgrounds, pools, cemeteries and beaches are eligible. This category also is used for any work or facility that cannot be characterized adequately by Categories A-F. Other types of facilities, such as roads, buildings and utilities, that are located in parks and recreational areas are also eligible and are subject to the eligibility criteria for Categories C, D, E and F.

Natural features are not eligible facilities unless they are improved and maintained. This restriction applies to features located in parks and recreational areas. Specific criteria apply to beaches and to trees and ground cover.

The Commonwealth begins the Public Assistance process by announcing the schedule of briefings through which potential applicants are guided through the application process. During the briefings, specialists will describe the application process. After the general applicant briefing, each applicant will meet one-on-one with an assigned Public Assistance Coordinator (PAC) at a scheduled kick-off meeting. The PAC will contact their assigned applicants within one week after a request for Public Assistance is submitted. Applicants should contact their State Public Assistance Officer to arrange the first meeting if they have not heard from their PAC within two weeks.

Here’s what to expect at a kick-off meeting:

A PAC will provide a detailed list of required records and can recommend ways of organizing them.

Applicants should be prepared to bring documents with them to their kick-off meeting, including a list of damage and a description of intended repair or replacement projects.

Applicants should try to identify circumstances that require special review, such as insurance coverage, environmental resource issues and historic preservation. The earlier these conditions are known, the faster they can be addressed, and they must be addressed before funding can be approved.

After the meeting, applicants will be able to contact their PAC with any questions or requests for assistance.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for Hazard Mitigation measures for all counties within the Commonwealth.

Applicants are responsible for maintaining records of completed work and work to be completed.

For more information about the Public Assistance process, including a list of frequently asked questions, see http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-frequently-asked-questions.

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. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion3.

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Hurricane Sandy Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation for Cameron County

FEMA Obligates Nearly $3.3 Million to Louisiana Department of Public Safety for Hurricane Isaac Emergency Measures

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Public Safety will receive a nearly $3.3 million federal grant to reimburse the costs it incurred to provide measures to save lives and property before, during and after Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Thursday.

“When disasters strike, the men and women of the Department of Public Safety are on the front lines to help protect Louisiana and its residents,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “This grant helps reimburse the department for its efforts to protect the health, safety and property of Louisianians during Hurricane Isaac.”

Between Aug. 26 and Sept. 10, Hurricane Isaac produced high winds, rain and flooding throughout the state. The department and its divisions provided emergency protective measures necessary to eliminate and reduce immediate threats to life, public health and safety, and public and private property. The FEMA Public Assistance grant, totaling $3,277,030, helps reimburse the department for the costs of equipment, personnel and supplies used during the Hurricane Isaac response and recovery effort.

The newly obligated funds are a portion of the $189 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for the state since the Aug. 29, 2012, disaster declaration.

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. FEMA is also on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

Source article:

FEMA Obligates Nearly $3.3 Million to Louisiana Department of Public Safety for Hurricane Isaac Emergency Measures

SBA Disaster Loan Important for Homeowners and Renters

NEW YORK – Of the more than 161,000 low-interest U. S. Small Business Administration disaster loan applications sent to New York’s Hurricane Sandy survivors, fewer than 34,000 have been completed and returned.

SBA loans represent a major source of federal funding for disaster home repair and reconstruction. Applicants are urged to complete and return their applications as soon as possible.

Most SBA disaster loans go to individuals and families, and interest rates may be as low as 1.688 percent with terms up to 30 years.

The deadline for New York’s Hurricane Sandy survivors to apply for both FEMA assistance and an SBA loan is Jan. 28, 2013.

Some of the top reasons for submitting an SBA application by the deadline include:

Your homeowner insurance settlement falls short. You may find out that you were under-insured for the amount of work it will take to repair or replace your damaged home. An SBA low-interest loan can cover the uninsured costs. By submitting the loan application, you may have loan money available when it is needed most. SBA can approve a loan for the repair or replacement of your home up to $200,000. Once your insurance settles, you may apply those funds to your disaster loan. However, the opportunity for an SBA disaster loan may be lost if you wait past the application deadline.

SBA can work with an applicant to shape a loan that fits your personal budget. If you already have a mortgage on the damaged property, SBA specialists can work with you to come up with an affordable low-interest loan package. In some cases, SBA can refinance all or part of an existing mortgage when the applicant has sustained significant damage to their house.

SBA can help renters replace their essential items. Renters, as well as homeowners, may borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace clothing, furniture, cars or appliances damaged or destroyed in the disaster.

By submitting your SBA loan application, you keep the full range of disaster assistance available as an option. If SBA does not approve a loan for you – or approves a small loan that doesn’t cover all of your needs – you may be referred to other programs that can provide grants to replace essential household items, replace or repair a damaged vehicle or cover storage expenses, among other serious disaster-related needs. But if you do not submit the loan application you received from SBA, the assistance process may stop.

It takes less than 30 minutes to fill out an application. A simple, fast, and very available way to complete the application is online, using the SBA’s electronic loan application. Go to https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ELA. Plus, you can receive an update on the status of your application by calling 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing).

SBA customer service representatives are available to issue or accept low-interest disaster loan applications and answer questions at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and

SBA business recovery centers. To locate the nearest business recovery center, visit www.sba.gov or call 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing).

To find the nearest disaster recovery center, check out the disaster recovery center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or, with a tablet or smartphone, go to m.fema.gov. You may also text “DRC” and your Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA). For example, if you lived in Staten Island, you would text: “DRC 10301.” Or call 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585).

More information is available by calling the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center toll-free number, 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing). Assistance is also available by sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or by visiting www.sba.gov.

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.

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 temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and 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.

Link:

SBA Disaster Loan Important for Homeowners and Renters

Who Qualifies for FEMA Disaster Assistance?

NEW YORK – To qualify for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a survivor of Hurricane Sandy must meet certain conditions.

First, the individual or household losses must have occurred in an area covered by the presidential disaster declaration for New York, which includes 13 counties.

Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

The survivor must register with FEMA. There are several ways to do this:

Via smartphone or tablet, go to m.fema.gov or download the FEMA app.
Call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.
For 7-1-1Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 800-621-3362.
The toll-free telephone numbers operate 7 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week until further notice.
A FEMA Language Assistance Line is available for those who need interpretation services in languages other than English or Spanish. Call: 866-333-1796.

The deadline to register with FEMA is Jan. 28 in New York.

If the applicant has insurance, he or she must file a claim with the insurance company.

For housing assistance

The damage to the property is not covered by insurance or the insurance settlement is insufficient to cover the losses.
The applicant or someone who lives in the household is a citizen of the United States, a non-citizen national, or a qualified alien.
The applicant must have a valid Social Security number.
The damaged home is where the applicant usually lives and was living at the time of the disaster.

A survivor may not be eligible for housing assistance if:

The home that was damaged is a secondary or vacation residence.
Expenses resulted only from leaving the home as a precaution and the applicant was able to return to the home immediately after the incident.
The applicant has refused assistance from his or her insurance provider.
The only losses are business losses.
The damaged home is located in a designated flood hazard area and the applicant’s community is not participating in the National Flood Insurance Program.l
- In this case, the flood damage to the home would not be covered, but the applicant may qualify for rental assistance or assistance for items not covered by flood 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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Who Qualifies for FEMA Disaster Assistance?

Nearly $1.5 Billion Provided by FEMA, SBA to New York Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Main Content

Release date:

January 18, 2013

Release Number:

NR-143

NEW YORK — Federal disaster assistance to New York survivors of Hurricane Sandy totals almost $1.5 billion.

FEMA continues to reach out to all 13 counties designated for Individual Assistance, focusing on the hardest-hit areas. Assistance to residents in affected counties includes:

Bronx $2.3 million
Kings $188 million
Nassau $277 million
New York $12.8 million
Queens $218 million
Richmond $87.9 million
Suffolk $63.9 million

FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved almost $1.5 billion for Hurricane Sandy survivors. FEMA has approved more than $855 million for individuals and households, including nearly $753 million for housing assistance and more than $102 million in assistance for other needs.

SBA has approved more than $590 million in disaster loans to homeowners and renters and nearly $40 million in disaster loans to businesses. The SBA has staff members at every FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center and 17 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance.

More than 263,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance, including nearly 143,000 who have applied through the online application site at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or on their smartphone at m.fema.gov.

20 Disaster Recovery Centers are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites. To date, nearly 133,000 survivors have been assisted at Disaster Recovery Centers in New York.

59 inspectors are currently in the field. To date, 172,727 home inspections have been completed, making a 99.4 percent completion rate.

13 New York counties are designated for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. These are Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. Greene County has been designated for Public Assistance only.

More than $1.4 billion has been paid to National Flood Insurance Program policy holders in New York for losses resulting from Sandy. The National Flood Insurance Program, administered by FEMA, offers flood insurance to all homeowners, renters and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP.

Since Hurricane Sandy made landfall, FEMA has provided more than $413 million in Public Assistance grants in New York State. The FEMA PA program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of costs for disaster-related expenses associated with emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure. In order to qualify, damage must be a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

Individuals can register with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.

Applicants who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST, seven days a week.

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.

Last Updated:

January 18, 2013 – 16:42

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

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Nearly $1.5 Billion Provided by FEMA, SBA to New York Hurricane Sandy Survivors

No Discrimination in FEMA Disaster Assistance

WINDSOR, Conn. — Storms don’t discriminate and neither does FEMA, federal officials emphasized today.

“Everybody’s circumstances are different and people won’t all be helped the same way. But our promise is to treat everybody equally,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis. “We are not a law enforcement agency; we are a helping agency. That’s why we’re here.”

FEMA has a mission to ensure disaster assistance is made available to all people in the whole community. That means reaching out to everyone, regardless of race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.

Those areas are written into federal law as an equal rights statement of policy that permeates FEMA’s approach to providing fully inclusive disaster recovery services.

FEMA may provide assistance in many ways, not all of them financial, to disaster survivors through connections with its state and local partners. But to help survivors, FEMA needs to know who they are through FEMA registration.

FEMA’s Voluntary Agency Liaison works specifically with voluntary and faith-based organizations, which provide case management support for applicants, whether they are citizens or not.

An applicant’s information is confidential. FEMA does not share anyone’s information with other agencies unless an applicant wants us to do so and that agency’s purpose is to provide assistance to those in need after a disaster.

“Disaster recovery includes everyone,” Lewis added. “The individual, the community, FEMA, the state, voluntary agencies and faith-based partners—everyone has a role. We may not be able to help you directly, but we’ll know what’s available. There may be other programs to get you where you want to go.”

The deadline to register is Jan. 28. Survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Survivors can also register by phone 24 hours a day at 800-621-3362. Effective at 7 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, hours will be 7 a.m. until 1 a.m. the following day. The TTY number is 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available during the same hours at the close of the English message.

Registering for disaster assistance with other agencies or organizations does not register survivors for FEMA disaster assistance. Having FEMA flood insurance does not register policyholders for disaster assistance, nor does it disqualify anyone from applying for assistance. Flood insurance claims are handled separately.

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 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

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 homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers 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.

Source article:

No Discrimination in FEMA Disaster Assistance

Somerset County Disaster Recovery Outreach Centers to Open

HUNT VALLEY, Md. – The Disaster Recovery Center in Crisfield will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, January 18, but survivors of hurricane Sandy still can get help.

Those who already have registered with FEMA can call FEMA’s Helpline at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585. There will be outreach centers open beginning January 22, at the following locations:

DATE	Location	Hours of Operation
January 22 – 24, 2013	Seton Center 30632 Hampden Ave Princess Anne, MD 21853	11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
January 22 – 24, 2013	Woodrow Wilson Community Center 119 South 7^th Street Crisfield MD 21817	3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
January 25 – 26, 2013	Deal Island Chance Fire Department 10090 Deal Island Road Deal Island, MD 21821	9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
January 25 – 26, 2013	Fairmount Fire Company 27407 Fairmount Road Westover MD 21871	9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
January 27, 2013	Rehobeth Presbyterian Church 5757 Coventry Parish Road. (Corner of Old Rehobeth Rd & Coventry Parish Rd.) Westover, MD 21871.	1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
January 27, 2013	St Elizabeth Church 8734 Old Westover Road Westover, MD	11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Centers are staffed with emergency management experts from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency who can answer questions about disaster assistance programs.

February 12 is the deadline to apply for assistance. There are three easy ways to begin the application process. You may call FEMA’s toll-free number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 1-800-462-7585. Both numbers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice, and multilingual operators are also available to answer your call. Residents with Internet access now have the option to register on the agency’s website at www.disasterassistance.gov or web-enabled mobile device or smartphone visit m.fema.gov.

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Somerset County Disaster Recovery Outreach Centers to Open

There Are Plenty of Reasons to Apply for an SBA Disaster Loan

NEW YORK – The very reasons Hurricane Sandy survivors in New York find for not applying for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration are the very reasons they should apply – on or before the Jan. 28 deadline.

“Oh I’m not eligible and I don’t own a business.”

Most SBA disaster loans go to individuals and families, and interest rates may be as low as 1.688 percent with terms up to 30 years. Loans to homeowners help pay for repair or replacement of their disaster-damaged primary residence. The loans also help homeowners and renters pay to replace disaster-damaged personal property.

“I don’t want a loan or can’t qualify for one.”

Filing the loan application does not obligate people to accept the loan, but individual and family applicants must still complete the SBA loan application before they can be considered for certain other FEMA grants and programs that could include assistance for disaster-related medical and dental expenses, disaster-related car repairs, clothing and household items. Completing the SBA application assures that the federal disaster recovery process continues and that you’re keeping your options open.

“It’s just too much trouble to fill out an application.”

It takes less than 30 minutes to fill out an application. Applicants can also receive one-on-one assistance at any Disaster Recovery Center or SBA Business Recovery Center. A simple, fast, and very available way to complete the application is online, using the SBA’s electronic loan application. Go to https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ELA. Plus, you can receive an update on the status of your application by calling 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing).

“But I’m a renter not a homeowner.”

Renters who need to repair or replace essential items lost in Hurricane Sandy can get help from the SBA. Renters 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.

“I’m going to wait for my insurance settlement.”

Survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance companies before applying for SBA disaster loan assistance. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA will consider making a loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay their SBA loan.

“I own the property but it’s not my primary residence.”

If your property is used as a normal part of your business, such as rental property, you may be eligible to apply as a business owner. We suggest you submit your application and let SBA make that determination.

“Why bother with SBA when I also need to raise or elevate my home.”

If your disaster loan application is approved, you may be eligible for additional funds to cover the cost of improvements that will protect your property against future damage. Examples of improvements include elevating your house, retaining walls, seawalls, sump pumps, etc.

“Our neighbors were turned down for an SBA loan and they make more than we do.”

Don’t make the mistake of eliminating yourself. Everyone’s situation is unique to them and SBA will work with you if you feel you may have a problem qualifying for the loan. Remember, if a homeowner or renter cannot qualify for the SBA loan, they will be referred back to FEMA for additional grant consideration.

SBA customer service representatives are available to issue or accept low-interest disaster loan applications and answer questions at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and

SBA business recovery centers. To locate the nearest business recovery center, visit www.sba.gov or call 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing).

Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application via SBA’s secure website at https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ELA. More information is available by calling the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center toll-free number, 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing). Assistance is also available by sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or by visiting www.sba.gov.

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.

Original source –

There Are Plenty of Reasons to Apply for an SBA Disaster Loan

FEMA Rental Assistance May be Used for Security Deposits

NEW YORK – As the Jan. 28, 2013 deadline to register for FEMA assistance approaches in New York, recovery officials want to make sure Hurricane Sandy survivors know that they may be able to use Temporary Rental Assistance funds to help pay for a security deposit.

If a landlord requires a security deposit, you can use up to one month of FEMA rent money to cover it and you will not have to return it at the end of the lease. If you already paid a security deposit with your own money, FEMA will not reimburse it. However, if you need more help with rent, you can show the security deposit receipt to support your request for additional assistance.

To receive additional temporary rental assistance, you must complete the Continuing Need form with a copy of the lease and all receipts for rent and security deposits, and mail it to the address printed on the form. If you don’t have the form, contact FEMA’s toll-free Helpline at 800-621-3362.

Families in hotel or motel rooms who are preparing to move into an apartment may use FEMA rent money for security deposits and rent. This money may not be used to pay for telephone or television service or utilities.

Hurricane Sandy survivors in New York have until midnight EST on Monday, 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.

Individuals also can find a disaster recovery center – and register with FEMA – online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet by going to m.fema.gov or by 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.

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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FEMA Rental Assistance May be Used for Security Deposits

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