Arkansas renters who have been asked to leave or vacate their storm-damaged home or apartment complex, whether their unit had damage or not, may be eligible for disaster assistance from FEMA.
Types of Assistance for Displaced Survivors
As Arkansans recover, landlords may find the need to ask renters to vacate their properties to complete repairs to the dwelling. If you have been asked to leave, FEMA may be able to assist you.
If you already applied for FEMA assistance but were later asked to leave or vacate your property due to damage to other parts of your home, you should call FEMA at 800-621-3362 or visit a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to learn what assistance may be available to you.
Displaced survivors can reach out even if they were previously determined ineligible for FEMA assistance.
Renters may be eligible for grants from FEMA to help with disaster-related expenses, such as:
- Renting a home when the renter’s previous one is unsafe to live in due to the disaster or their apartment complex or home is under repair due to the disaster
- Disaster-related medical and dental expenses
- Child-care assistance
- Moving and storage fees
- Replacement or repair of necessary personal property lost or damaged in the disaster, such as appliances and furniture, textbooks and computers used by students, and work equipment or tools used by independent contractors
- Repair or replacement of vehicles damaged by the disaster
- Disaster-related funeral and burial expenses
Apply for FEMA Assistance
If you have not yet applied for FEMA disaster assistance, there is still time. The quickest and easiest way to apply is online by visiting disasterassistance.gov, click the blue “Apply Online” button to start an application. You may also visit any FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) for assistance submitting your FEMA application, upload documents or get answers to questions about federal disaster assistance. To locate a center, check the FEMA app or visit www.FEMA.gov/DRC. The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is July 3.
If you are not able to visit a DRC or apply online, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Specialists staff the toll-free number from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish).
FEMA cannot duplicate any types of assistance received from another federal agency. However, if you were forced to leave your Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-assisted housing because of damage caused by the severe storms and tornadoes, you may be eligible for help from FEMA. This includes displaced families or residents who were:
- Living in HUD-assisted public housing
- Living in a privately-owned apartment that provides rental assistance from HUD
- Living in a private home using a Housing Choice Voucher (formerly known as Section 8 voucher) issued by a public housing authority or other authorized agency
If you received HUD rental assistance, you may be eligible for temporary rental assistance to pay for a place to live until:
- You relocate back to public housing
- You relocate back to the private housing that provides HUD assistance
- You sign a lease with a private property owner using a Housing Choice Voucher
Assistance may also include help with replacing essential contents, such as clothing and essential household items, and reimbursement to you for serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance.
Renter’s Rights in Arkansas
The State of Arkansas Attorney General offers general information for Arkansas renters on their website at arkansasag.gov/consumer-protection/home/landlord-and-tenant-rights/.