New Appointment System Adopted to Speed IFG Registrations at FEMA Applicant Assistance Center
Release Date: October 23, 2002
Release Number: 1391-162
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New York, NY -- Recovery officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency today announced new procedures designed to expedite the registration process for the Individual and Family Grant (IFG) program at the FEMA Applicant Assistance Center in lower Manhattan.
Officials report that applicants have continued to line up early in the morning-some as early as 6:00 a.m.-in the hope of "beating the crowd" to register in person at the Center, located at 141 Worth St. With colder weather approaching, officials wanted to create new procedures to eliminate the long wait in lines for those seeking IFG aid.
A new system has now been implemented which allows IFG applicants to make an appointment for a later date, at which time they can sit down and register face-to-face with a FEMA representative.
"New Yorkers seeking help can come to the Center anytime during the day-Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.-to make an appointment for a later date," said Kwong Hui, manager of the Applicant Assistance Center. "As a result, there is no reason to show up early in the morning before we open the doors, because the applicant will not be able to register in person that same day anyway."
Once an appointment has been made, the applicant can walk right in at the scheduled time without waiting. While the new appointment system will be more convenient for applicants who wish to register in person, recovery officials stress that the easiest way to apply for IFG assistance is by telephone. Applicants can apply by calling 1-800-462-9029 (TTY: 1-800-462-7585) any weekday, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. All operators have access to interpreter services, accommodating the diverse language needs of the New York metropolitan area.
The IFG program is designed to help residents from federally declared disaster areas cover the costs of disaster-related necessary expenses or serious needs, including reimbursement for air purifiers, air filters and vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters.
The new appointment system is for the IFG program only. Applicants must visit the Center before the IFG registration deadline of Nov. 30 to schedule an appointment. Recovery officials note that those seeking aid from the FEMA Mortgage and Rental Assistance (MRA) program or business loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration do not need to make an appointment, and can expect to see a representative on their first visit to the Center.
Last Modified: Friday, 03-Oct-2003 15:51:10