January 30 Deadline to Apply for FEMA Assistance and Return SBA Loan Applications
January 22, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey have until January 30, 2013 at midnight to register for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and to return applications for low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration.
There are several ways to register with FEMA:
Online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov
Via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov
Call the 24-hour numbers 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585
For 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) call 800-621-3362
A FEMA Language Assistance Line is available for those who need interpretation services in languages other than English or Spanish. Call: 866-333-1796.
People who have sustained a loss due to Superstorm Sandy are encouraged to register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA assistance may include grants for temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.
The quickest way to apply for an SBA disaster home or business loan is to fill out an online application at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
SBA is the primary source of federal funds for long-term rebuilding. In most cases, FEMA funds will not cover all of the repair needs of homeowners. Money for a temporary rental home is the form of help FEMA largely provides so obtaining a low-interest SBA disaster loan is a survivor’s best option for repairing their home and replacing property.
People can apply to SBA before settling with their insurance company. Applying by the deadline can avoid a shortfall in rebuilding money if survivors later discover they are underinsured.
By completing an SBA loan application, homeowners may be eligible for up to $200,000 to repair or replace their storm-damaged home. Homeowners and renters may be eligible for up to $40,000 for replacement of personal property such as clothing, furniture, cars and appliances.
There is no obligation to accept an SBA disaster home loan and homeowners and renters may become eligible for additional FEMA grants if they are not approved for a loan.
For businesses and private nonprofit organizations, the SBA may loan up to $2 million to repair or replace storm-damaged property.
For additional information on SBA, contact the customer service center by calling 800-659-2955 (for people who are deaf or hard of hearing TTY 800-877-8339), emailing disastercustomerservice (at) sba (dot) gov or visiting sba.gov.
For additional information, affected survivors may visit a disaster recovery center (DRC). In Atlantic County there are two DRCs open 9 AM to 7 PM, Monday through Saturday. They are located at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City and behind the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing.
Recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.
FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan.
However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.
