Hurricane Survivors Still Have Until March 11 to Apply For Disaster Assistance
Ineligible applicants are referred to other agencies and organizations
Release Date: February 16, 2006
Release Number: 1606-140
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Rita
AUSTIN, Texas -- More than 620,000 Rita and Katrina survivors in Texas have applied for assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Since the hurricanes struck, the agency has approved some $1.38 billion in Individual and Other Needs Assistance for eligible applicants in the state. (Figures are as of close of business Feb. 10, 2006.)
Unregistered Katrina and Rita evacuees still have until March 11, 2006, to register by applying online at www.fema.gov or by calling FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Assistance is available in multiple languages.
The predominant form of long-term housing assistance available from FEMA to hurricane evacuees is rental assistance. Most eligible evacuees who registered with FEMA already have received an initial payment of $2,358 per household, intended to pay rent costs for an apartment or home for three months. Evacuees may be eligible to receive this aid for up to 18 months from the date of the disaster declaration and are recertified by FEMA in three-month increments.
Working with federal partners, FEMA refers hurricane evacuees who receive FEMA housing assistance to federal housing options that have been made available by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Development and Fannie Mae. Evacuees looking for more information on these and other rentals available in the Gulf Coast region and throughout the United States can go online to the Disaster Housing Resource at www.dhronline.org or call FEMA's Housing Locator hotline at 1-800-762-8740 or TTY 1-800-462-7585.
Hurricane evacuees not eligible for FEMA housing assistance because they were not homeowners or renters before Hurricane Katrina or Rita may be eligible for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Disaster Voucher Program. To receive a referral, they should call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA or TTY 1-800-462-7585.
The following is a summary of other the types of FEMA assistance for which applicants may be eligible:
- Grants to help pay for minor home repairs.
- Grants to replace furniture and other personal property not covered by insurance or other sources, for both homeowners and renters.
- Grants to cover serious needs and necessary expenses caused by the disaster and not covered by insurance or other sources.
- Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to cover uninsured or underinsured losses to the primary residence and its contents.
- Other assistance such as free crisis counseling and free legal aid.
The most common reasons assistance may be denied include the following:
- Evacuee had property insurance. The Stafford Act, the federal law that guides FEMA, prohibits duplication of benefits. Prior to receiving federal assistance, insured applicants must file a claim with their insurance company. Then they may be eligible for an advance payment of their insurance settlement from FEMA upon documentation of a significant delay in insurance proceeds.
- Prior to the disaster, the evacuee lived with a relative and paid no rent. FEMA routinely looks at the makeup of the pre-disaster household. Only renters and homeowners may qualify for disaster assistance, which may include grants to cover minor home repairs, rental assistance and serious disaster-related expenses.
- Evacuee failed to submit additional documentation as requested. As stewards of taxpayer dollars, FEMA routinely requests proof of occupancy, ownership, residency, insurance verification or other information.
FEMA continues to partner with state and local governments, voluntary agencies, faith-based organizations and recovery coalitions to assist with the needs that cannot be met through federal agency programs.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 28-Feb-2006 13:26:00