Home Inspections For Residents Who Are Away From Home
Release Date: September 30, 2005
Release Number: 1603-048
» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Katrina
» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Rita
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Residents who apply for aid will be contacted by inspectors contracted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to set up an inspection date and time. If applicants cannot return home for inspections, they can still have their home inspected.
If unable to meet an inspector at their damaged homes, applicants can identify an “Authorized Agent” who can be present during the inspection, such as a trusted neighbor or relative. The FEMA inspector will fax an “Applicant Authorized Agent release form” to be signed and returned by fax before the inspection can occur. If the applicant does not have someone in the area that can be the Authorized Agent, the inspector can offer an Authorized Agent who is a FEMA employee that represents the interests of the applicant. The inspector will fax the release form to the applicant to be signed and returned to the inspector by fax.
All applicants must provide proof that they occupy the residence, whether they rent or own the home. Occupancy can be verified, for example, with a copy of a Louisiana drivers’ license, other photo identification with address, a utility bill, or a credit card statement showing the physical address of the residence. Homeowners who apply for aid will be required to verify ownership; the homeowner can provide a property tax receipt, mortgage payment stub, or the cover sheet of the homeowner’s insurance policy. If the applicant cannot be present at the inspection, this information should be provided by fax to the FEMA-contracted inspector before the inspection is scheduled.
If the dwelling is not locked, the inspector can enter to perform a complete inspection. If unable to enter, because the home locked or unsafe to enter, the inspector will do an “Exterior Inspection”; personal property will be visually verified through windows where possible. In many cases, this type of inspection provides adequate verification of damaged property.
Accurate and current contact information is important; if you need to change the phone number or mailing address you gave FEMA at the time you applied, call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or make the change online at www.fema.gov.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Friday, 30-Sep-2005 09:25:28