Mariposa County gets federal assistance to help residents impacted by recent disasters
Mariposa County will receive federal assistance and recovery centers to help support the recovery from 2022 and 2023 winter storms as well as from the last summer’s Oak Fire.
As part of the assistance, the county has been approved for Single Family Housing Rural Disaster Home Repair Grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to a Mariposa County news release. The grants are for residents whose homes suffered damage during the Oak Fire in the summer of 2022 as well as residents whose homes suffered damage due to winter storms in late December 2022.
According to the county, the grants focus on providing funding to low-income and very low-income homeowners whose property sustained damage, to help with site preparation and repair expenses. It could even help cover the cost of moving a manufactured home to a new location.
Residents can apply for the grant through the disaster assistance website and additional resources for Oak Fire Survivors can be found at the FEMA website.
In addition to the home repair grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the county also has been approved for federal assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as well as the Small Business Association’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resiliency. The the assistance is for the the series of winter storms the area experienced which started on Feb. 21 of this year.
Mariposa County residents and business owners who register through FEMA will automatically be moved through the process of finding assistance that they may be eligible to receive. According to the release, people are likely to experience different path options, but all are encouraged to register.
According to the release, a home inspection by FEMA is required as part of the process in order to verify losses. The county said the process usually takes between 30-45 minutes and the FEMA inspector will present their badge including a photo ID before they begin any inspection.
The county warns residents to not proceed with the inspection if the inspector does not present photo ID and FEMA will never charge a fee for the inspection. If you are asked to pay for the inspection, do not proceed, according to the release.
Residents should also be cautions of potentially fraudulent behavior. If contacted by someone claiming to be with FEMA, residents can ask for their name, photo ID and request that they confirm the FEMA application number generated during registration.
Residents are also warned to not provide payment or financial information as FEMA representatives will not request those items.
Additionally, Mariposa County in partnership with the California Office of Emergency Services, SBA and FEMA has opened two Disaster Resource Centers. One of the resource centers is located at the Greeley Hill Community Center, 10332 Fisk Road in Coulterville and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The other Disaster Resource Center is located at Midpines Hall, 6364 Highway 140 in Midpines and is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday though Saturday. According to the release, the Coulterville location will remain operational until May 18, while the Midpines location will remain operational until May 25. The closing dates may be extended if there is a continued need for the centers.
According to the county, residents who experienced damage due to the storms are encouraged to register for assistance. Both individuals and businesses can register through the disaster assistance website, by calling 800-621-3362 or by downloading the FEMA app. Residents and businesses can also register by visiting a Disaster Resource Center, according to the release.
