Arkansas Renters May Be Eligible for Federal Disaster Assistance
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Renters in Arkansas counties whose homes and property were damaged or uninhabitable because of recent severe storms and floods may be eligible for federal disaster assistance.
Aid is available to residents of Arkansas, Conway, Crawford, Desha, Faulkner, Jefferson, Logan, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Sebastian and Yell counties. There are federal grants that can help pay for temporary housing. Disaster survivors may be eligible for housing assistance grants that could include rental assistance and temporary lodging reimbursement.
Also, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers low-interest disaster loans to help Arkansas renters repair or replace disaster-damaged personal property, including automobiles. Loan rates as low as 1.938 percent with terms up to 30 years can be made for eligible losses up to $40,000. Eligible losses include damages to personal property in designated counties that are either uninsured or under-insured, and the survivor has not received compensation from other sources.
In addition to homeowners, renters may also be eligible for Other Needs Assistance (ONA) through FEMA for uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster.
Other Needs Assistance can be used for:
Disaster-related medical, dental and funeral expenses, as well as assistive devices such as wheelchairs, canes, communication boards and related equipment, and prescriptions Replacement or repair of personal property lost or damaged in the disaster, such as room furnishings or appliances, and tools and equipment required by the self- employed for their jobsA primary vehicle and an approved second vehicle damaged by the disaster.
Eligibility for some ONA grants may be determined at the time of application or in some cases after completing and returning an SBA application. Applicants referred to SBA must complete and submit their SBA loan application to be considered for additional grant assistance for personal property.
The first step for renters is to register with FEMA for assistance. To do so:
Go to www.disasterassistance.gov orCall 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585 (TTY). Consider applying for a low-interest disaster loan if you are a renter.
Information about low-interest SBA disaster loans and application forms are available online at SBA.gov/disaster. You may also call 800-659-2955 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you use TTY, call 800-877-8339.
You can check to see if you are eligible for disaster assistance from other state, federal and voluntary organizations by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov/get-assistance/find-assistance. This tool can help you identify available resources in your community.
FEMA's mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.
For mitigation information and regularly updated disaster information go to: http://www.fema.gov/armit | http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4441.
The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) is the state's homeland security and preparedness agency. The agency works to identify and lessen the effects of emergencies, disasters and threats to Arkansas by developing effective prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery actions for all disasters and emergencies. For additional information, contact ADEM at (501) 683-6700 or visit the website at www.adem.arkansas.gov.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. TTY users may also call 800-877-8339. Applicants may also This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit SBA at www.SBA.gov/disaster.
