[StBernard] RENTERS MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE

[Westley Annis]

Recovery News

RENTERS MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE

Louisiana renters who lost their homes or personal property as a result of
Hurricane Isaac may be eligible for disaster-related assistance from the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies. 

 


Of more than 178,000 Louisianians who registered for state and FEMA
assistance as of Sept. 17, a great majority report that they are homeowners.
Yet renters who resided in an apartment, mobile home or leased house that
was made unlivable because of severe disaster damage are also encouraged to
contact FEMA. 


 

"Hurricane Isaac didn't discriminate between homeowners and renters," said
Mike Hall, FEMA's federal coordinating officer. "FEMA is here to help
Louisianians who sustained damage get the money in their pockets they are
eligible to receive."

 

Through Housing Assistance, FEMA offers two kinds of help to eligible
renters:

 

*	Money to rent a different place to live for a limited period of time
while repairs are done to a home that was made unlivable by the disaster  
*	A free referral service to find a safe replacement rental property

 

Both renters and homeowners may also be eligible for Other Needs Assistance
(ONA), designed to help survivors with uninsured or underinsured necessary
expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster. ONA grants can be used
for:

 

*	Disaster-related medical and dental expenses
*	Disaster-related funeral and burial expenses
*	Replacement or repair of necessary personal property lost or damaged
in the disaster, household items such as room furnishings or appliances, and
tools and equipment required by the self-employed for their jobs
*	Primary vehicles and approved second vehicles damaged by the
disaster

 

Filling out a disaster loan application from the U. S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) is a necessary step for homeowners and renters to be
considered for some other forms of disaster assistance. If the SBA is unable
to approve a loan, the applicant may be referred back to FEMA for some other
type of disaster aid.

 

To qualify for any of this assistance, renters must first register with FEMA
online at www.disasterassistance.gov <http://www.disasterassistance.gov/> ,
via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov <http://m.fema.gov/>  or by calling
1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585. For 711 Relay or Video Relay Services,
call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to
10 p.m. seven days a week.