Recertify to Be Eligible for Continued Rent Help
FEMA rental assistance available into 2007 for eligible evacuee families: those who recertify!
Release Date: September 6, 2006
Release Number: 1606-247
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AUSTIN, Texas -- Evacuee households currently receiving rental assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shelter programs must provide the necessary paperwork to recertify for continued rental help, and avoid interruption of this benefit.
While FEMA's recertification deadline is Oct. 31, 2006, letters will be sent to landlords mid-September with the names of those who have failed to recertify for continued rental assistance. Households need to recertify with FEMA in advance of the deadline to avoid potential conflict with their landlord and to ensure no interruption of benefits. Recertification is necessary for both evacuees in apartments and homes and evacuees living in FEMA travel trailers.
"We urgently want to help evacuees to continue on their road to recovery, but need them to call us with the necessary information to do so. This is an evacuee responsibility," said E.C. "Butch" Smith, director of the Texas Transitional Recovery Office in Austin . "Under the law, we can't continue to help evacuees if they don't give us the information to do so."
The majority of registrants for FEMA's housing assistance receive payments under Section 408 of the Stafford Act. Lump sum payments made to heads of households are designed to provide three months of rent at fair market rates. The recertification process allows FEMA to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars by requiring the applicant to demonstrate that the sheltering financial assistance was used, as required by FEMA, for housing.
In Texas , many households have been receiving rental assistance directly through housing vouchers or other programs provided by public agencies. FEMA is reimbursing public agencies for this interim housing through its Stafford Act Section 403 Public Assistance program, which normally goes to pay for repairs to public structures such as buildings and bridges.
Evacuees whose rent is being paid through these public agencies have not had to recertify, but as eligible evacuees are converted to the 408 program, they will need to recertify. Rental assistance for eligible evacuees is available for up to 18 months after a disaster declaration, but the clock has already started for those under 403 housing and will end for all evacuees in March for the Rita disaster, and in February for Katrina evacuees.
Applicants who are ineligible for continued assistance are referred to other agencies, both public and private, for possible additional help. A nationwide referral number, 2-1-1, has been established for hurricane survivors who have continued sheltering needs.
FEMA's helpline, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), remains available for those with questions about recertification. For the speech- and hearing-impaired, the TTY number is 800-462-7585.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Monday, 11-Sep-2006 09:57:57