Deadline for FEMA Disaster Assistance quickly approaching, officials urge residents to sign up
With 904,000 households registered for assistance since Hurricane Ian's landfall on Sept. 28, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has made immense progress in post-Ian recovery.
But time is running out for those who still need hurricane assistance.
The deadline to apply for assistance through FEMA is on the horizon, with Florida residents having until Jan. 12 to complete their applications.
Residents with a primary residence that incurred storm-related loss or damage caused by Hurricane Ian within one of the 26 counties designated for federal disaster assistance are encouraged to sign up. Those who have insurance are told to file a claim for disaster-caused damage before they apply for FEMA assistance, officials saying residents do not need wait for their insurance settlement to submit a disaster assistance application.
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FEMA may provide financial assistance to eligible survivors who have uninsured or underinsured disaster-caused damage or loss. FEMA Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin Denning spoke to The News-Press Tuesday about the application and what residents can expect once they fill out the application.
"If they have not registered yet, they will need to register before that deadline to get assistance and to make sure that they have documentation that's available," Denning said. "Proof of where they live … we need their Social Security number, some other information like that, and they can register."
How to apply:
Apply online at disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-3362. Assistance is available in most languages. Calls are answered every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET.
Survivors can also register at any Disaster Recovery Center operating throughout Florida’s disaster-damaged counties. To find one nearby, go online to: DRC Locator.
Once the application is submitted, Denning said their home or rental property will be inspected for damage by one of their inspectors and determine how significant the damage is.
"Based on that level of damage, we will determine what type of assistance that they can receive … whether the home is habitable. Hopefully at this point, we've already determined whether their home is habitable or not and those that are living in uninhabitable homes are out of those homes," Denning said. "We want to make sure that they are safe and secure in other households for a period of time while they're working out their permanent housing solution."
After the inspections, residents will receive a letter telling them the extent of the damage and what level of assistance they will be receiving.
There might be cases where residents receive a letter that says they have been denied. Denning encourages those who are denied to read the entire letter before panicking.
"Unfortunately, that's just the way the language is but you have to read that whole letter. Most of the time, they were asking for some further proof, some other documentation that you need to send us as the form for assistance starts to become available," Denning said. "Please read that determination letter and provide us with the assistance that you need."
Deadline also applies to SBA disaster loans
The Jan. 12 deadline also applies to applications for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, which has approved $730 million in loans for Lee County.
The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA Public Affairs Specialist Tauheedah Mateen discussed the type of loans businesses can get:
"100% of the time, businesses are referred directly to SBA but we want to make sure that they complete that application before that January 12 deadline for their fiscal damages," Mateen said. "Businesses are actually eligible for two types of SBA loans – physical damages and working capital, so that means we want to make sure that they get in there for those physical damages before the deadline."
The two businesses SBA disaster loans:
Business Physical Disaster Loans – Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) – Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.
Applicants must have their documentation ready when submitting, such as Social Security numbers, financial information and contact information. Mateen said businesses who lost working capital have until June 29 to submit an application for help.
Applicants will also have up to 30 years to pay off the loan with a fixed interest. SBA also announced that there is 0% interest and payment for the first 12 months of the loan.
For business owners affected by Ian, she highly encouraged those to apply sooner rather than later.
"If they were referred by FEMA to SBA, we want to make sure that they understand to get into the queue as soon as possible, because they may have to submit other documentation to go a little deeper into the application, so we want to make sure that they get into the queue for physical damages before that deadline," Mateen said.
As FEMA and SBA work together as federal partners towards recovery, Mateen also sends a message about those referred to their program by FEMA, adding they need to fill out the application.
"If we cannot for some reason, we can't help them, we will refer them back for additional grant considerations but the only way for that process to take place with FEMA's referral is if they do come through the SBA, so we want to make sure that those people don't get afraid of the word 'loan'," Mateen said.
Next steps for FEMA's recovery efforts
Denning also highlighted notable post-Ian statistics:
$1.72 billion flood insurance claims paid over to over 24,000 households.
Over $357 million to Lee County, with $51 million towards renter assistance for 193,000 residents.
Over $72 million to Charlotte County, with $8 million to renters assistance.
Over $44 million to Collier County, with $11 million to renters assistance.
Denning stressed that the Jan. 12 deadline doesn't mean they are packing up and heading out: They are committed to continuing to help with recovery efforts for as long as it takes.
He highlighted two FEMA programs that are currently happening. The first is Public Assistance Program, which reimburses local jurisdictions, counties, cities and towns for damage to public facilities, public systems, and public buildings.
"We're talking about schools, roads, bridges, wastewater treatment plants, parks, and that is one of the the largest parts of our program … you're talking about an awful lot of assistance that will be there, will be given there," Denning said. "That program has already started distributing funds to the state, which then is distributed to local jurisdictions and that part of the recovery will last years here and in Florida."
The other is the Interagency Recovery Coordination Group, which work with local jurisdictions on what their vision is for rebuilding their community and suggests what funding may be available outside of FEMA.
Denning, who has worked on major disasters since 1996, said Ian was a very large disaster and has had a devastating effect on the region but said it's always great to be a part of the rebuilding process.
"It's always a wonderful story to watch and see just how the counties and cities and towns, however big or small, come together and start talking about their recovery and what's going to happen," Denning said. "There are some great things happening and there's a lot of work that's going to be done, that has to be done in the future and that's why we're going to continue to be here as that progresses."
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida residents have until Jan. 12 to apply for FEMA disaster relief
