Final day to apply for Irene storm damage assistance

Those affected have until midnight tonight, November 15, to register online for assistance with FEMA and to apply for low-interest loans from the SBA. Phone registrations will be accepted until 10:00 p.m., EST.

For Immediate Release
November 14, 2011

Contact
FEMA News Desk
802-951-2700

VEM Mark Bosma
800-347-0488

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Tuesday is the last day for Vermonters who experienced damage or losses as the result of Tropical Storm Irene to register for federal disaster assistance.

Those affected have until midnight, Tuesday, November 15 to register online for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and to apply for low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Phone registrations will be accepted until 10:00 p.m., EST.

To date, 6,945 individuals and families have registered and more than $19.8 million in grants has been approved for home repairs or replacement, rental assistance, and other needs while another $23.4 million in low-interest disaster loans – $14 million in home loans and $9.4 million in business loans – has been approved by the SBA.

“This is your last chance,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer James N. Russo. “We have done everything in our power to make sure Vermonters know that help is possibly available if they sign up.”

You may register by calling toll-free 800-621-FEMA (3362) or going online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. Registering online saves time and allows you to track the status of your application online.

Registration is also available via web-enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Multilingual assistance is available if needed for phone registrations. Individuals with a speech disability or hearing loss who use a TTY can call 800-462-7585 directly; or 800-621-3362 if using 711 or Video Relay Service.

Tuesday November 15, is also the deadline to complete and return an SBA low-interest disaster loan application if you have already received one. Remember, no one is obligated to take a loan, but completing the application is a necessary first step toward possibly receiving additional FEMA grants if you do not qualify for a loan.

“I urge anyone who has not registered to do so immediately. If your housing circumstances change or you find damage later, you can only get help if you’ve registered,” said Vermont Emergency Management Director Mike O’Neil.

While FEMA has closed its disaster recovery centers, the SBA has continued to operate three assistance centers where not only businesses but also homeowners can get face-to-face help reviewing their cases and filling out applications. These SBA centers are open Monday and Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will close for good at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 15.

Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
72 Cotton Mill Hill – 2nd Floor
Brattleboro VT 05301

Springfield Development Corporation
14 Clinton Street
Springfield VT 05156

Town of Hartford Building
171 Bridge Street
White River Junction VT 05001

FEMA and SBA have teamed with Vermont NeighborWorks® Organizations to offer more help filling out SBA disaster loan applications. These are located at:

VERMONT NEIGHBORWORKS® HOME OWNERSHIP CENTERS

Champlain Housing Trust
88 King Street
Burlington, VT 05401
Tel.: 802-862-6244
Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Champlain Housing Trust
Franklin/Grand Isle
13 Lake Street
St. Albans, VT 05478
Tel.: 802-527-2361
Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Gilman Housing Trust
48 Elm Street
Lyndonville, VT 05851
Tel.: 802-535-3555
Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Windham and Windsor Housing Trust
68 Birge Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
Tel.: 802-254-4604
Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Fri., 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Windham and Windsor Housing Trust-Satellite Office
90 Main Street
Springfield, VT 050156
Tel.: 802-885-3220
Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Fri., 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Central Vermont Community Land Trust
107 North Main Street
Barre, VT 05641
Tel.: 802-476-4493
Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

NeighborWorks of Western Vermont
110 Marble St.
West Rutland, VT 05777
Tel. 802-438-2303
Mon.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Rutland County Housing Coalition
46 Evelyn St., #201
Rutland, VT 05701
802-775-9286
Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Fri., 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster 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; or call 800-621-3362 if using 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS).

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 either through the U.S. Mail, online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/., or to their local Disaster Recovery Center to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

SBA disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people with speech or hearing disabilities) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also be downloaded from www.sba.gov or completed on-line at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.