NEW YORK – New York homeowners and tenants who suffered damage to their property after the passage of Storm Ida last Wednesday, September 1, have two weeks, until December 6, to apply for federal assistance from FEMA, recalled the agency.
The counties that were listed as emergency locations for their residents to apply for assistance are the Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. People who reside in these areas and were affected by Ida have two weeks to apply for federal disaster assistance.
Here what you need to know:
• The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is Monday, December 6. This is also the deadline to apply for a disaster loan from the US Small Business Administration.
• Survivors are encouraged to file insurance claims for damage to their homes, personal property, and vehicles before applying for FEMA assistance.
• FEMA provides funds paid directly to eligible individuals and households. Financial assistance for housing may include rental assistance, reimbursement of lodging expenses, home repair assistance, and replacement assistance. They are all explained as follows:
– Rental Assistance It is financial assistance for temporary homeowners and renters if Storm Ida displaced them from their primary residence.
– Accommodation expenses reimbursement It is reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses for temporary housing that resulted from damage that made your primary residence uninhabitable. Eligible accommodation expenses may include the cost of the room and associated taxes.
– Home repair assistance is financial assistance for homeowners to repair their primary residences, the utilities that serve the primary residence, and the residential infrastructure leading to their property damaged by Storm Ida.
– Replacement assistance is financial assistance for any homeowner whose primary residence was destroyed by Hurricane Ida and can be applied toward the purchase of a new permanent residence.
– Assistance for other needs it is financial assistance for other immediate needs and expenses caused by the disaster. This assistance may include funds to replace personal property, moving and storage expenses, transportation assistance, funeral services, medical, dental, childcare, and various disaster-related items.
• To request FEMA assistance, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Helpline operators are available from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm every day. Press two for Spanish.
• Applicants for FEMA disaster assistance should have the following information before applying: social security number; address of the damaged primary residence; Insurance information; current phone number and mailing address; and bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds.
• The primary source of federal funding for long-term disaster recovery not covered by insurance is the US Small Business Administration The SBA offers disaster assistance in the form of low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and companies. The SBA also provides small businesses and nonprofits that meet the working capital requirement to help overcome financial injury.
• Homeowners, renters, and businesses affected by Storm Ida can apply for disaster loans using the SBA’s secure website: disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/. For more information, applicants can also call the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email [email protected]. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can call 800-877-8339.
• Disaster assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster. The assistance is intended to meet basic needs and complement disaster recovery efforts.
• For the latest on Hurricane Ida recovery efforts in New York, visit fema.gov/disaster/4615.
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