Resident Noncitizens May Qualify For Federal Disaster Aid

BATON ROUGE, La. – Hurricane Isaac survivors who are not U.S. citizens but who are in the United States legally may be eligible for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“We don’t want anyone in Louisiana who may qualify for help to miss out on valuable disaster assistance,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mike Hall of FEMA. “Everyone, even those who are in doubt about their status, should apply and we will determine whether they are eligible.”

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals or qualified aliens to receive federal monetary assistance. The legal status of qualified aliens will not be jeopardized by applying for aid.

Qualified aliens include:

  • Individuals with Lawful Permanent Residency (holders of “green cards”);
  • Those with refugee or asylum status;
  • Those whose deportation has been withheld;
  • Those on parole in the U.S. for at least one year for humanitarian purposes;
  • Those with conditional entry;
  • Cuban or Haitian entrants; and
  • Those with petitions for relief based on battery or extreme cruelty by a family member.

Noncitizen nationals are people born in an outlying possession of the United States (American Samoa or Swain’s Island) on or after the date the U.S. acquired the possession, or a person whose parents are U.S. noncitizen nationals (subject to certain residency requirements).

Assistance can be given as long as someone in a household is entitled to it. For example, a parent or guardian who is not eligible for assistance can still apply on behalf of a minor child who is a U.S. citizen, noncitizen national or qualified alien. The guardian only certifies for the child; no information will be gathered on the adult’s status. No information will be gathered regarding the status of other household members.

Undocumented immigrants from a household with no one eligible for federal financial assistance may still be eligible for programs run by state, local or voluntary agencies. They may also be eligible for short-term, non-cash aid from FEMA, such as crisis counseling.

People in Louisiana with uninsured or underinsured losses and damages as a result of Hurricane Isaac who live in the 21 designated parishes can register for disaster assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov, via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov or by calling 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 are operating from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Under the presidential declaration, disaster assistance is available for individuals in the following parishes: Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington and West Feliciana.

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Resident Noncitizens May Qualify For Federal Disaster Aid

FEMA Adds Three Parishes for Individual Assistance Benefits

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisianians in three more parishes – East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana and West Feliciana – can now apply for federal and state disaster assistance as the three were added Friday to the major disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac.

Homeowners, renters and business owners in the three parishes may now register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance and report their uninsured or underinsured property damage or destruction from the storm.

“Residents of the three parishes should register with FEMA as soon as possible,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mike Hall. “We have approved more than $100 million for survivors in Louisiana and we’d like to start getting help to eligible survivors in these three parishes as well.”

Disaster assistance for individuals may include:

  • Grants to help pay for temporary housing and emergency home repairs to make a home habitable;
  • Grants for serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance;
  • Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. If you use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Residents of the parishes affected by the hurricane should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but underinsured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.

Registering with FEMA is required for federal aid, even if the person has registered with another disaster-relief organization or local community or church organization. FEMA registrants must use the name that appears on their Social Security card. Applicants will be asked to provide:

  • Social Security number
  • Address of the damaged home or apartment
  • Description of the damage
  • Information about insurance coverage
  • A current contact telephone number
  • An address where they can get mail
  • Bank account and routing numbers if they want direct deposit of any financial assistance.

In the 16 days since the major disaster declaration for Louisiana, Individual Assistance has been made available in 21 parishes: Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne and Washington, and now East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana and West Feliciana.

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 Adds Three Parishes for Individual Assistance Benefits

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