First In Series Of Deadlines Coming Up Next Monday
Release Date: October 23, 2000
Release Number: 1340-14
» More Information on Montana Wildfires
Helena, MT -- The first in a series of application deadlines is coming up next week, according to federal and state disaster recovery officials.
Monday, Oct. 30 is the application deadline for individuals who sustained damage to real and personal property and businesses that sustained physical damage.
This deadline is for aid through Disaster Housing program that helps with either rental assistance, if your permanent residence was heavily damaged or destroyed, or repair money to make minor repairs so that you can continue to live in it during permanent repair work. It also includes Individual and Family Grants for disaster-related damage to real and personal property and medical, dental, funeral, transportation and moving and storage expenses as well as U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) physical loss disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses.
"If you were injured, your home or its contents were damaged or you had to move and store the contents of your home, you need to apply now," State Coordinating Officer Jim Greene said. "If your business or its inventory was damaged you also should apply now."
Deadline for Disaster Unemployment Assistance applications is Nov. 4. Disaster Unemployment Assistance extends benefits to self-employed individuals not normally covered by the unemployment compensation program, such as farmers, ranchers, guides, outfitters and other business owners, if they lost work because of the wildfires.
March 2, 2001 is the deadline to register for the Mortgage and Rental Assistance Program. This program helps individuals facing foreclosure or eviction who are unable to make their mortgage or rent payments because they lost their source of income as a result of the wildfires.
Businesses have until May 30, 2001 to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). These loans are to businesses to cover lost working capital even though there was no physical damage. The SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan can help a business meet installments on long-term debt, accounts payable and overhead expenses that would have been met had the disaster not occurred.
"If you had economic losses caused by the wildfires -- your mortgage or rent payments are falling behind or your business needs help to meet long-term debt, accounts payable or overhead expenses, for example -- you still have some time to apply," Federal Coordinating Officer Carlos Mitchell said.
People living, owning a business or working in one of the 48 counties and six reservations declared a major disaster area for the wildfires who want to apply for state and federal disaster assistance must call the FEMA disaster registration number 1 800 745-0243. This is the number to register for both physical loss and economic injury. You must call the FEMA registration number to qualify for federal and state disaster programs, even if you have already called the state Department of Commerce or the American Red Cross.
Last Modified: Thursday, 13-Nov-2003 10:51:31