FEMA is offering some rent subsidies and help finding replacement housing for flood victims, according to a press release the agency sent out today.
For more information on relief resources in the Catskills, to go the Watershed Post's relief page.
Read FEMA's full press release below:
Rental Resources for Storm Survivors Available
ALBANY, NY - New York State storm survivors who lost their home because of damages caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee may be eligible to receive rental assistance, the New York State Office of Emergency Management (NYSOEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today.
Residents should first apply by calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621- 3362,
TTY 1-800-462-7585. Multilingual assistance is available by phone. Lines are open from
7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, seven days a week until further notice.
Applicants can also register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or with a smartphone at m.fema.gov. The deadline to apply is October 31, 2011.
Have the following information at hand when calling:
· Your Social Security number;
· A general list of damages and losses you suffered;
· Clear directions to the property that was damaged;
· Current mailing address and phone number;
· Insurance information;
· General financial information; and
· Bank account code if you wish to speed up your assistance with direct deposit.
FEMA's Individual and Households Program (IHP) offers funds to rent alternative housing for a limited period of time while repairs are made to the dwelling, and a free referral service to find a safe replacement rental property.
Storm survivors who are looking for a place to rent should request rental resources by:
· Calling the FEMA Helpline 1-800-621-3362 and asking for rental resources by town, county, number of bedrooms, accessibility and other criteria.
· Visiting the nearest Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) and consulting a FEMA specialist
· Going online to the FEMA Housing Portal at http://asd.fema.gov/inter/hportal/home.htm and searching available properties by location, rent amount, accessibility, and other criteria.
· Visiting the New York State website: http://www.nyhousingsearch.gov/.
New Yorkers who have a property to rent to a storm survivor should call the FEMA Helpline 1-800-621-3362 and provide:
· Address of rental property;
· Monthly rent;
· Number of bedrooms;
· If the property is accessible to people with disabilities; and
· If you accept pets, and the deposit required for pets, if any.
Storm survivors in counties declared eligible for Individual Assistance (IA) may also apply for housing repair; U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loans for individuals, renters and businesses to repair or replace damaged property; disaster unemployment assistance; grants for serious needs and necessary disaster expenses not met by other programs.
The 28 counties eligible for IA after Hurricane Irene are: Albany, Bronx, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Herkimer, Kings, Montgomery, Nassau, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington and Westchester.
The six counties eligible for IA after Tropical Storm Lee are: Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schenectady and Tioga.
