Temporary Housing Available For Registered Storm Victims 

Release Date: August 24, 2004
Release Number: 1539-034

» More Information on Florida Hurricane Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie

ORLANDO Fla. -- Register First: If you have hurricane damages, you should follow a straight path to assistance by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairments.

“FEMA’s total effort is directed to getting all needed, authorized assistance to those Floridians who suffered traumatic damages during Hurricane Charley,” said FEMA’s Bill Carwile, federal emergency coordinator.

State Coordinating Officer Craig Fugate of the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) agreed, saying, “The help that is so badly needed cannot be implemented by the State of Florida or FEMA until this initial step is taken by the individual.”

When a person registers, he or she will be asked general information regarding income, insurance coverage, availability to get to work and extent of damages to the home or business. The Individual and Housing Program (IHP) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest loan program may be explained to you.

You will be given a control number that will be used through the assistance process. After calling, an inspector will visit the property. In most cases, that will be within three to five days following registration.

All authorized inspectors will have laminated FEMA identification tags with a photo of the inspector. These inspectors will not be asking for money, bank account numbers, social security numbers, or similar personal items. Any such personal information given to FEMA will be done only when a person registers for aid. Genuine FEMA inspectors will need to see proof of a primary residence (such as current utility bills), a property deed, car title and insurance policies.

There have been some fraudulent, would-be inspectors, some even wearing FEMA-like shirts and distributing FEMA-type flyers to persons from whom they ask personal information and even seeking money. Law enforcement officers should be notified immediately of such actions.

A primary source of FEMA aid is the Individuals and Households Program (IHP). That includes housing aid funded totally by FEMA and Other Needs Assistance (ONA) administered by the state. ONA is funded at least 75 percent by FEMA and the remainder by the state.

If you qualify for the housing program, you will receive a check within two weeks. The check is for rental assistance for those whose home or apartment has been made unlivable by floodwaters.

Housing assistance may include temporary housing, which encompasses financial aid to rent a different place to live, or a temporary housing unit such as a manufactured home when other housing resources are not available. Manufactured homes include both mobile homes and travel trailers. In a pre-placement process applicants are questioned to determine special needs. Housing assistance also may include grants of up to $5,100 for homeowners with uninsured or underinsured disaster-related damages to their primary residence.

SBA provides low-interest loans to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance. Loans are available up to $200,000 for primary residences and $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses. Loans up to $1.5 million are available for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance.

ONA includes such things as medical, dental and funeral expense; furniture, clothing and some appliances; costs to repair or replace essential transportation up to limits set by the state; and public transportation costs.

Homeowners who must be out of their homes for a short period of time while repairs are being made can receive transient alternative housing money. If the home is livable except for utilities, occupants should notify local utility companies. Be certain you report to your utility company if your electricity or gas are not working.

Additionally, if there is a need for a tarp to cover a damaged roof or other part of a structure, or plastic sheets for similar purposes, the occupant should notify the county’s Emergency Operations Center. FEMA funds these materials and the U.S. Corps of Engineers delivers the necessary quantities to the counties.

The entire registration process takes approximately 20 minutes. The FEMA lines are open seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

The State Emergency Response Team is a collaboration of Florida’s emergency management agencies led by the state coordinating officer. Its mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impact. For the latest information on the hurricane relief effort, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Sunday, 29-Aug-2004 15:09:46