FEMA and SBA Aid Now Accessible to Renters and Homeowners
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is encouraging all residents who are recovering from Typhoon Mawar to apply for their free assistance program. This program, designed to support residents in their recovery efforts, includes various types of aid such as:
- Rental Assistance: Initial support in line with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Market Rate for the applicant’s area is available. If a resident’s home needs habitability repairs, two months of assistance may be offered. In cases where utilities are not operational, or the home is inaccessible, one month of aid can be provided. Residents may also qualify for Continued Temporary Housing Assistance for up to 18 months post-disaster declaration.
- Lodging Expense Reimbursement: This assistance caters to those who needed to vacate their homes and rent hotel rooms for safety during the typhoon. It should be noted, however, that this reimbursement ends seven days after the approval of rental assistance.
- Repair or Replacement Assistance: These programs are exclusively for homeowners. Homeowners who are uninsured or underinsured might be eligible for repair aid that covers typically uninsurable items such as wells, private roads, bridges, and furnaces. FEMA, however, does not extend coverage to exterior structures like gates or retaining walls.
Replacement assistance, on the other hand, can reach up to $41,000, contingent upon the specific circumstances of each household.
Generally, residents can expect to receive an amount ranging from $3,000 to $6,000. Some might get lower amounts if certain damages aren’t eligible for coverage, while others could be eligible for up to $41,000 within the fiscal year if they require additional assistance.
For Typhoon Mawar-related assistance, the deadline for application submission is July 27, 2023.
Residents can apply for these programs via a multitude of channels:
- Over the phone by dialing the toll-free number 1-800-621-3362.
- Online through the website disasterassistance.gov.
- Through a mobile app available on smartphones or tablets.
- In-person at the Joint Disaster Recovery Center with locations at:
- Northern site: Dededo Sports Complex.
- Central sites: Guam Community College and Taitano Elementary School.
- Southern site: Inalåhan Mayor’s Office.
Within seven to ten days following the application, a FEMA inspector will get in touch with the applicants directly to arrange an appointment if they satisfy the general eligibility conditions. If residents don’t hear from FEMA within this time frame, they are encouraged to call FEMA’s toll-free number or visit any of the open Disaster Recovery Centers.
