Even if you have insurance—register for disaster assistance

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. —Even if you have homeowners’, renters’ or flood insurance, you are urged to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Registering with FEMA is a primary step in qualifying for disaster assistance after contacting your insurance agent to see if disaster damage is covered.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, FEMA is advising survivors who live in Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk or Virginia Beach with property damage to contact both their insurance company and FEMA. Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017 is the last day to apply to FEMA for disaster assistance.

If you are a homeowner or renter with insurance and your home or personal property was damaged by the storm:

  • You must contact your insurance agent to file a claim with your insurance company.

  • You should be prepared to fully describe to your agent the damage caused by the storms.

  • You should keep a record of all contact you have with the agent and the insurance company.

  • You should keep a record of the claim number and the date you called to make the claim.

  • Always keep all damage repair receipts.

  • FEMA will send you a letter requesting insurance claim documentation, such as a decision letter (settlement or denial) from your insurance company, in order to further process your application.

FEMA cannot duplicate benefits that are covered by insurance, but you may be eligible for help with losses not covered or those in excess of your insurance coverage. However, you will not be considered for this assistance until FEMA receives a decision letter from your insurance company.

Homeowners and renters may be eligible for FEMA Other Needs Assistance (ONA) grants to help with uninsured or underinsured expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster, including:

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Child care and

  • Funeral cost

Survivors who register and receive a Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loan application should return the application. SBA applicants are not obligated to accept a loan; however, completing the application may make available additional FEMA assistance. Applicants who may not qualify for a SBA loan may be eligible for Other Needs Assistance.

FEMA encourages both insured and uninsured survivors who sustained disaster-related damage or losses to apply by phone (voice, 711 or relay service) at 800-621-3362 (TTY users should call 800-462-7585) or online at DisasterAssistance.gov. The toll-free lines are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available. Jan. 3, 2017 is the last day for survivors to file an application.

 

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Even if you have insurance—register for disaster assistance

Spend FEMA Grants Wisely

RIDGELAND, Miss. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already put more than $5 million in federal disaster relief funds in the hands of Mississippians recovering from flooding and severe weather. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and FEMA want to remind those receiving grant payments to spend those funds wisely. Survivors should use Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance grants on housing repairs and other essential needs.

Housing Assistance grants are intended for basic housing repairs, including repairs to a septic system or private well. Housing Assistance grants also may be used for short-term rental payments or reimbursement of hotel/motel expenses.

Other Needs Assistance grants are intended to help replace essential personal property and meet disaster-related medical, dental and funeral expenses. The money also may be used to repair or replace a car damaged by the disaster and to replace work-related tools.

Most FEMA disaster grants are deposited electronically at the applicant’s request to their bank account. A follow-up letter explains how the money should be spent.

If grant money is not used as outlined in the letter, a recipient may have to repay FEMA and could lose eligibility for further help. FEMA grants should not be used for luxury goods, such as flat-screen televisions, video games or other entertainment electronics. Grants may be audited, so survivors should keep receipts for three years to document disaster-related expenses.

The first step toward obtaining recovery assistance is to register with FEMA.

Survivors can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone (voice, 711 or relay service) at 800-621-3362. (TTY users should call 800-462-7585.) The toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

Business owners, homeowners and renters can apply for low-interest disaster loans at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. SBA representatives are available at the disaster recovery centers to

answer questions and help survivors complete their disaster loan applications. Questions can also be answered by calling the SBA disaster customer service center at 800-659-2955 or (TTY) 800-877-8339 for the deaf or hard of hearing, or by visiting disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

For more information on Mississippi’s flood recovery, go to fema.gov/disaster/4268 or visit the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency site at msema.org.

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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.

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). If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money to help business of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters rebuild and recover after a disaster. SBA low interest disaster loans repair and replace property losses not fully compensated by insurance and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

 

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Spend FEMA Grants Wisely

Louisiana Disaster Survivors May Find An SBA Loan Is the Key To Their Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. –If you are one of the Louisiana flood and storm survivors referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), it’s important to complete and submit the loan application you receive to ensure that your disaster recovery process continues to move forward.

Survivors should complete and return the applications as soon as possible. If you complete and submit the SBA disaster loan application, but do not qualify, it may open the door to other FEMA grants. Homeowners and renters who submit an SBA application, but who are not offered a loan may be considered for FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program.  

The Other Needs Assistance program helps meet essential needs like medical and dental care, funeral costs and transportation expenses. By not submitting the SBA loan application, disaster survivors may be leaving “money on the table” as applying for the loan ensures consideration for Other Needs Assistance if the loan is not granted.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property, offering low-interest disaster assistance loans to businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.

Submit an SBA loan application even if you are waiting for an insurance settlement.  You may be able to begin your recovery immediately with a low-interest SBA disaster loan. The loan balance will be reduced by the settlement from your insurance. SBA loans may also be available for losses not covered by insurance or other recoveries.

Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace their primary residence.
Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $40,000 to replace personal property.
Businesses may borrow up to $2 million for any combination of property damage or economic injury.

  • SBA offers low-interest working capital loans (called Economic Injury Disaster Loans) to small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations of all sizes having difficulty meeting obligations as a result of the disaster.

Survivors should start the loan process as soon as possible.

Survivors who qualify for an SBA loan are under no obligation to accept it.

Survivors can submit their SBA loan application online at https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ela, visiting their nearest Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) or by mailing their paper application to:

U.S. Small Business Administration
Processing and Disbursement Center
14925 Kingsport Road
Ft. Worth, TX 76155-2243

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.

Survivors who haven’t yet registered with FEMA can do so online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA’s helpline at 800-621-3362, which is video relay service accessible. Survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have difficulty speaking may call TTY 800-462-7585.

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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 Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800)877-8339.

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Original article:

Louisiana Disaster Survivors May Find An SBA Loan Is the Key To Their Recovery

FEMA Disaster Assistance Tops $2 Million for Arkansas Recovery

NORTH LITTLE ROCK – More than $2 million in assistance to date is helping the residents of nine Arkansas counties recover from the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding, May 7 to June 15, 2015.

Recovery officials caution though, that the time to register for federal help is running out.  The deadline to apply for assistance is Aug. 25, 2015.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management provide this current summary of assistance:

More than $922,323 in housing aid to help homeowners and renters:

  • Rent temporary housing for a limited period of time;

  • Repair damage from the disaster to a homeowner’s primary residence that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to make the home safe, sanitary and functional; and,

  • Help replace homes destroyed in the disaster.

More than $99,824 to help pay for:

  • Disaster-related medical and dental costs;

  • Disaster-related funeral and burial costs;

  • Clothing, household items, tools required for work and necessary educational materials;

  • Clean-up items;

  • Disaster-damaged vehicles;

  • Moving and storage expenses related to the disaster; and

  • Other necessary expenses or serious needs as determined by FEMA.

Also, $1,082,000 in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofit organizations has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Residents of Crawford, Garland, Howard, Jefferson, Little River, Miller, Perry, Sebastian, and Sevier counties are encouraged to register for assistance with FEMA before the Aug. 25, 2015 deadline.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available.

The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

The following is a by-county summary of assistance.

 

CRAWFORD COUNTY

 

Registrations

89

Housing Repairs and Rental Assistance

$61,210

Other Needs Assistance

$10,591

Individuals and Households Program Total

$71,801

U.S. Small Business Administration Loans

$80,400

 

GARLAND COUNTY

 

Registrations

43

Housing Repairs and Rental Assistance

$72,775

Other Needs Assistance

$140

Individuals and Households Program Total

$72,916

 

HOWARD COUNTY

 

Registrations

67

Housing Repairs and Rental Assistance

$61,443

Other Needs Assistance

$40,611

Individuals and Households Program Total

$102,054

U.S. Small Business Administration Loans

$54,500

 

JEFFERSON COUNTY

 

Registrations

162

Housing Repairs and Rental Assistance

$354,881

Other Needs Assistance

$29,072

Individuals and Households Program Total

$383,953

U.S. Small Business Administration Loans

$589.000

 

LITTLE RIVER COUNTY

 

Registrations

61

Housing Repairs and Rental Assistance

$114,750

Other Needs Assistance

$5,804

Individuals and Households Program Total

$120,554

 

MILLER COUNTY

 

Registrations

23

Housing Repairs and Rental Assistance

$86,787

Other Needs Assistance

$1,716

Individuals and Households Program Total

$88,502

 

PERRY COUNTY

 

Registrations

23

Housing Repairs and Rental Assistance

$89,421

Other Needs Assistance

$6,929

Individuals and Households Program Total

$96,351

U.S. Small Business Administration Loans

$315,800

 

SEBASTIAN COUNTY

 

Registrations

42

Housing Repairs and Rental Assistance

$43,201

Other Needs Assistance

$3,532

Individuals and Households Program Total

$46,733

 

SEVIER COUNTY

 

Registrations

37

Housing Repairs and Rental Assistance

$37,766

Other Needs Assistance

$1,428

Individuals and Households Program Total

$39,193

U.S. Small Business Administration Loans

$42.300

 

Approved assistance as of COB Aug. 2, 2015. U.S. SBA Administration loans are through July 29, 2015.

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.

The 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 www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.

 

 

Original source:

FEMA Disaster Assistance Tops $2 Million for Arkansas Recovery

Federal Disaster Aid for Colorado Flooding Tops $339.5 Million

County

Individuals and Household Program

Public Assistance

SBA

Adams

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

    $1,111,231

       $136,457

   $1,247,687

 

 

$4,541,847

Business Loans

Home Loans

Loan Total

        $80,500

   $1,588,700

   $1,669,200

Arapahoe

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

    $3,276,222

       $295,033

$3,571,255

   

 

$546,418

Business Loans

Home Loans

Loan Total

       $252,800

    $3,722,700

$3,975,500

Boulder

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

   $32,621,290

     $2,295,861

$34,917,151

 

 

  $21,376,193

Business Loans

Home Loans

Loan Total

  $13,180,900

  $49,594,800

$62,775,700

Clear Creek

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

    $239,128

        $2,674

$241,801

  

 

$702,905

Business Loans

Home Loans

Loan Total

       $29,600

     $142,200

$171,800     

Crowley

 

 

$239,576

 

 

Denver

 

 

$1,894,646

 

 

El Paso

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

   $1,576,816

      $194,261

$1,771,078

 

 

$5,114,466

Business Loans

Home Loans

Loan Total

       $370,100

    $1,756,100

$2,126,200     

Fremont

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

    $59,352

      $1,950

$61,302

 

 

$813,276

Home Loans

 

Loan Total

        $45,400

 

$45,400            

Grand

 

 

 

Business Loans

Loan Total

         $81,700

$81,700

Gilpin

 

 

$448,147

 

 

Jefferson

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

   $1,558,011

        $38,442

$1,596,453

 

 

$4,044,640

Business Loans

Home Loans

Loan Total

       $413,600

$2,662,600

$3,076,200

Lake

 

 

$156,570

 

 

Larimer

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

   $6,455,500

      $370,727

$6,826,227

 

 

$37,211,208

Business Loans

Home Loans

Loan Total

  $11,082,000

    $8,947,300

$20,029,300

Lincoln

 

 

$96,737

 

 

Logan

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

   $485,884

     $42,875

$528,759

 

 

$587,515

Business Loans

Home Loans

Loan Total

    $179,200       $1,312,100

$1,491,300

Morgan

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance Total

   $82,381

     $8,292

$90,673

 

 

$3,171,481

Home Loans

 

Loan Total

         $65,400

 

$65,400

Sedgwick

 

 

$20,618

 

 

Washington

 

 

$277,783

 

 

Weld

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

   $8,640,958

   $1,500,116

$10,141,074

 

 

$9,408,352

Business Loans

Home Loans

Loan Total

    $1,179,400

    $9,533,600

$10,713,000

Statewide

 

 

$16,180,774

 

 

Total

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Total

$56,106,772

$4,886,689

$60,993,461

 

 

$106,833,151

Business Loans

Home Loans

Loan Total

$26,849,800

$79,370,900

$106,220,700

Original post:  

Federal Disaster Aid for Colorado Flooding Tops $339.5 Million

Colorado Flooding: Two Months Later

DENVER – In the two months since heavy rains brought flooding, Colorado survivors have received more than $117.4 million in state and federal assistance and low-interest loans and an additional $35.1 million in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) payouts.

To date, more than $52.7 million in Individual Assistance (IA) grants has helped more than 15,000 Colorado households find safe, functional and sanitary rental units or make repairs to primary homes and cover other disaster-related expenses, such as medical needs or personal property loss. Nearly $48.7 million of IA grants have been issued in housing assistance and $4 million in other needs assistance, such as medical or personal property loss. Flood survivors have also received disaster unemployment assistance and disaster legal services.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $64.7 million in disaster loans to Colorado homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations. Of that amount, $54.3 million was in loans to repair and rebuild homes and $10.4 million in business and economic injury loans. Approved loan totals in some of the impacted areas are currently $40 million in Boulder County, $8.9 million in Larimer County and $7.7 million in Weld County.

In addition:

  • FEMA housing inspectors in the field have looked at more than 24,000 properties in the 11 designated counties for Individual Assistance.
  • In coordination with the State and local officials, FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists have canvassed Colorado neighborhoods, helping 37,180 survivors connect with recovery services. Survivors have talked to local, state, nonprofit, nongovernmental and FEMA specialists at the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs). At the DRCs, in the field and on the phone, FEMA provides information in Spanish and many other languages.
  • More than 50 national, state and local voluntary and faith-based organizations have spent 269,330 hours helping people as they recover from the flooding. The 27,655 volunteers are providing donations, volunteer management, home repair, child care, pet care, counseling services and removal of muck and mold from homes.
  • In the 18 counties designated for Public Assistance, 190 Applicant Kickoff Meetings have been conducted and so far FEMA has obligated $9,451,743 for eligible projects for debris removal, emergency protective measures and the repair of critical public-owned infrastructure.
  • FEMA and the State’s Private Sector team has contacted organization leaders from 33 Chambers of Commerce, six Economic Development Centers and 38 colleges and universities to share disaster assistance information.
  • The Federal Disaster Recovery Coordination group is coordinating disaster recovery across the entire federal family of agencies, facilitating long-term relationships among agencies, identifying technical expertise and funding opportunities; suggesting strategies for addressing specific needs, and generally encouraging a whole community approach to disaster recovery.
    • Coordinating agencies represented in FDRC include U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and U.S. Department of Commerce.
  • Speakers Bureau has received 71 requests from local officials throughout the affected area and 363 State/FEMA specialists and SBA representatives have spoken at town hall meetings and other venues. More than 7,600 attendees received information about FEMA’s IA program, Hazard Mitigation, flood insurance and SBA.
  • Mitigation specialists have counseled 15,250 survivors during outreach efforts at area hardware stores and more than 4,300 survivors at Disaster Recovery Centers in Colorado.
  • In the first 60 days of the Colorado flooding disaster, there have been 96,375 total page views on the disaster web page, fema.gov/disaster/4145, or an average of 1,606 daily. More than 500 tweets in the last 60 days were posted on the FEMA Region 8 Twitter feed, an average of eight daily tweets. The R8 Twitter feed has increased its followers to 9,000, an increase of nearly 600 new followers in the past 60 days.
  • At the request of the State, the 11 counties with FEMA IA designations are Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, El Paso, Fremont, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan, Morgan and Weld.
  • At the request of the State, the 18 counties with FEMA Public Assistance (PA) designations are Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, Crowley, Denver, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Jefferson, Lake, Larimer, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, Washington and Weld.

County-By-County Breakdown of State and Federal Grants

Adams County

Housing Assistance:

$1,017,068

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$118,156

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$1,135,224

 

 

 

Arapahoe County

Housing Assistance:

$2,928,379

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$255,331

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$3,183,710

 

 

 

Boulder County

Housing Assistance:

$28,419,729

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$1,820,947

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$30,240,676

 

 

 

Clear Creek County

Housing Assistance:

$190,128

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$2,426

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$192,554

 

 

 

El Paso County

Housing Assistance:

$1,338,680

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$142,673

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$1,481,353

 

 

 

Fremont County

Housing Assistance:

$43,859

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$1,950

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$45,809

 

 

 

Jefferson County

Housing Assistance:

$1,378,621

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$26,793

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$1,405,414

 

 

 

Larimer County

Housing Assistance:

$4,816,065

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$267,884

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$5,083,949

 

 

 

Logan County

Housing Assistance:

$474,194

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$42,515

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$516,709

 

 

 

Morgan County

Housing Assistance:

$69,450

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$5,037

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$74,487

 

 

 

Weld County

Housing Assistance:

$8,027,426

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$1,338,890

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$9,366,315

Register with FEMA by phone, 800-621-3362, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., MST, seven days a week.  Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA helpline. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages. People who have a speech disability or are deaf or hard of hearing may call (TTY) 800-462-7585; users of 711 or Video Relay Service can call 800-621-3362.

Register online: DisasterAssistance.gov. Register by Web-enabled device, tablet or smartphone: type m.fema.gov in the browser.

Jump to original:  

Colorado Flooding: Two Months Later

Renters should complete and submit SBA applications

NEW YORK – New York renters may be eligible for additional grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. To find out if renters qualify, they must complete and submit their disaster loan application from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

No one has to accept an SBA disaster loan. But information provided on that loan application may be used to help determine eligibility for a variety of FEMA programs that can help renters rebuild their lives.

“Renters are tightly woven into the fabric of New York and their recovery is crucial to the city’s recovery,” said Michael F. Byrne, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer in New York. “Many  renters have registered with FEMA and many of them are receiving help now.”

Renters, like homeowners, may be eligible for FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance, designed to help survivors with uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster. It’s important for survivors to understand that they must complete and return their SBA loan application in order to be eligible for Other Needs Assistance grants.

These grants can be used for:

  • Replacement or repair of necessary personal property lost or damaged in the disaster, 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
  • Disaster-related medical and dental expenses
  • Disaster-related funeral and burial expenses

Renters who do want an SBA loan may be eligible for a loan up to $40,000 for personal property losses.

The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance or an SBA disaster loan is March 29, 2013.

A simple way to complete the application is online, using the SBA’s electronic loan application. Go to https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ELA. More information is available by calling the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center toll-free number, 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339). Assistance is also available by sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or by visiting sba.gov.

Individuals can register with FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 (Voice, 7-1-1/Relay) or TTY 800-462-7585. The phone lines operate 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT, seven days a week.

Continue reading here:  

Renters should complete and submit SBA applications

Renters May Be Eligible for FEMA Assistance

Renters May Be Eligible for FEMA Assistance 

Release Date: March 24, 2012
Release Number: 4057-030

» More Information on Kentucky Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Persons and families in Kentucky who lost their rental homes or personal property in the recent severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding that occurred Feb. 29 through March 3 may be eligible for disaster-related assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Renters who resided in an apartment, mobile home or leased house that was made unlivable because of disaster damage also are encouraged to contact FEMA.

“As numerous persons who rented their homes at the time of the disaster are discovering, disaster aid is not limited to homeowners,” said Libby Turner, federal officer in charge of the Kentucky disaster. “Already over 250 renters have registered with FEMA and many are receiving help as they began to rebuild their lives.”

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

  • Money to rent a different place to live for a limited period of time while repairs are done to a rented residence that was made unlivable by the disaster
  • A free referral service to find a safe replacement rental property

Both renters and homeowners may also be eligible for Other Needs Assistance, designed to help survivors with uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster. These 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 in the disaster, 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

It’s important for survivors to understand that if they receive a U.S. Small Business Administration loan application package, they must complete and mail it to SBA in order to be eligible for Other Needs Assistance. Even if they don’t want an SBA loan, information provided on the application may be used to help determine eligibility for Other Needs Assistance. Survivors do not have to submit an SBA loan application to be considered for FEMA rental assistance.

To qualify for any FEMA assistance, renters must first register with FEMA by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585. Specialists are available by phone from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available. Renters also may register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via a web-enabled phone or smartphone at m.fema.gov.

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.

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

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.

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.

Last Modified: Monday, 26-Mar-2012 10:02:48

This article: 

Renters May Be Eligible for FEMA Assistance