BILOXI, Miss. (FEMA) – FEMA is reminding renters in Mississippi’s George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Stone counties whose homes and property were damaged by Hurricane Zeta that they are eligible to apply for federal disaster assistance.
FEMA Individual Assistance is available to renters, including students, as well as homeowners. Federal grants can help pay for temporary housing. The initial rental grant is for a 1-month or 2-month period and can be reviewed for further assistance. The registration deadline is March 1, 2021.
Renters may also qualify for a grant under FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program for uninsured essential personal property losses and other disaster-related expenses. These may include:
- Replacement or repair of necessary personal property, such as furniture, appliances, clothing, textbooks or school supplies
- Replacement or repair of tools and other job-related equipment required by the self-employed
- Primary vehicles
- Uninsured or out-of-pocket medical, dental, childcare, moving and storage expenses
Survivors in George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Stone counties can register with FEMA in the following ways:
- Visit DisasterAssistance.gov
- Use the FEMA App for smartphones
- Call 800-621-3362 (800-462-7585 TTY). Multilingual operators are available. The toll-free numbers are open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight Central Time. Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel should provide FEMA with their specific phone number assigned to that service.
Long-term, low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profit organizations from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance and other sources.
If referred, applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov or by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 TTY) or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Renters may be eligible for up to $40,000, depending on their losses. The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is March 1, 2021.
For a FEMA video explaining how renters may be able to get federal help after a disaster in American Sign Language(ASL): https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=yAHSPK_K7tg&feature=youtu.be