Use Your FEMA Funds Wisely And Well
Release Date: October 31, 2008
Release Number: 1791-212
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Ike
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has distributed more than $268 million in housing assistance funds to help Texans affected by Hurricane Ike. Officials from the Texas Governor's Division of Emergency Management (GDEM) and FEMA caution recipients to use their funds wisely and well.
Distributed via check or direct deposit, housing funds are intended to help residents meet basic disaster-related needs and begin rebuilding their lives. If an applicant spends the payment on anything other than the purpose for which it is intended, no additional assistance may be granted if the need arises in the future.
Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for minimal temporary repairs on damaged homes, temporary housing, or other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources. A letter explaining the payment's purpose will arrive within a day or two of the check or direct deposit payment.
Grant recipients are urged to keep receipts of their disaster spending for three years to demonstrate how the money was used to meet disaster-related needs. They are required to sign a declaration and a release certifying all funds will be spent on the expenses for which they are intended. If a recipient receives an insurance settlement to cover the same expenses, he or she must reimburse FEMA. Random audits may be done to confirm funds were spent properly.
Applicants should also update their address and phone numbers by calling FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Otherwise, they may miss important correspondence or telephones calls regarding their payments or applications for assistance. Certain government checks cannot be forwarded.
For more information about this disaster, visit www.fema.gov or www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Friday, 31-Oct-2008 14:49:13