Ike Update: Texas' Recovery Assistance Surpasses $1.5 Billion
By the Numbers 023
Release Date: February 6, 2009
Release Number: 1791-396
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AUSTIN, Texas -- Federal and state assistance to help Texans recover from Hurricane Ike has surpassed $1.5 billion.
The Texas Governor's Division of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), partners in the state's disaster recovery, provide the following summary of assistance approved as of Feb. 5:
- Nearly $488 million in disaster assistance for housing, disaster-related needs and disaster unemployment assistance has been approved for Texans for Hurricane Ike recovery.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved more than $552 million in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes.
- More than $77 million has been billed for short-term, transitional sheltering in hotels/motels for eligible applicants. Some 3,600 eligible individuals and families are still participating in the program.
- To date, more than $394 million in public assistance funding has been obligated and sent to the state of Texas for local public infrastructure repair and debris removal costs.
- FEMA has provided temporary manufactured housing for more than 3,400 applicants or 94 percent of the 3,600 applicants eligible for direct housing assistance.
- Nearly 6,000 Texans are in temporary housing under the U. S. Disaster Housing Assistance Program, which is funded by FEMA and administered by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- More than 20 million cubic yards or 94 percent of eligible debris has been cleared from disaster-affected counties.
- There are nine FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Centers open in affected counties, offering face-to-face assistance. Nearly 152,000 visits have been made to the centers.
To apply for disaster assistance, go online to www.fema.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- and hearing-impaired. Feb. 20 is the deadline to register.
Last Modified: Monday, 09-Feb-2009 09:05:44