Recovery Times TEXAS Hurricane Rita March 1, 2006 Vol. 2 Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA and the State of Texas Governor s Division of Emergency Management Apply by Phone 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) TTY 1-800-462-7585 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week until further notice In This Issue This issue of Recovery Times answers questions and explains the kind of assistance available and how to apply for it -- from finding a job to rebuilding your home or business. FEMA is working closely with the State of Texas, federal and local agencies and volunteer organizations to help you through this difficult period. Registration Deadline Is March 11 If you suffered losses or were displaced due to Hurricane Rita, register to determine eligibility for assistance. BY TELEPHONE: Dial 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The call is free with help available in more than 150 languages. When you call, you will have three choices: English, Spanish or Other Callers if you need language assistance or call from a rotary phone. If you are speech- or hearing-impaired, call TTY 1-800-462-7585. OVER THE INTERNET: If you have access to the Internet, you can register online at www.fema.gov. You will have 30 minutes to complete your application, so have all your paperwork ready before logging on. If you do not have all the information, you can start the process with what you have available. WHAT YOU NEED TO APPLY: If you don t have all the information, you still can register. FEMA staff will work around missing information so you don't miss out on help. - Social Security number - Telephone number where you can be reached - Address of damaged property - Losses to damaged property - Insurance information - Bank account number and routing number Special Needs Assistance Special needs assistance is available, especially if you are a senior citizen or have a disability and need help filling out the forms or managing the finances. FEMA staff can help you register and tell you about services and programs. For information, from home repairs and loans to medical needs and transportation, call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 if you are speech-or hearing-impaired. The State of Texas and FEMA Working Together To Help You Texans are no strangers to coping with disasters. The State of Texas and FEMA have worked together many times after disasters to help those in need. Responding to Hurricane Rita has been one more joint effort to help the strong and proud people of Texas get through a difficult time and move forward. The Governor s Division of Emergency Management and FEMA are working with local officials and community volunteers to help victims recover. We extend our commitment to your recovery by inviting you to access the resources and services offered by the federal government and the State of Texas to help speed your recovery. Our thanks to the federal family, first responders, volunteers, emergency management professionals, local officials, cities, lodging providers, state agencies, media and all Texans for the dedication and compassion shown during this unprecedented effort. A Place to Call Home FEMA provides individual assistance that helps with rent and other needs to eligible victims. But you must register first. Eligibility depends on your losses as well as your circumstance. Every case is different, but trained operators can help you complete the application and give information about available options. Call us toll-free 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). If you are speech- or hearing-impaired, call TTY 1-800-462-7585. In the most-damaged communities, finding functional housing is challenging. Once you register, you can search for a place that meets your needs by calling the FEMA Housing Locator Service at 1-800-762-8740. The FEMA Housing Locator Service 1-800-762-8740 HUD Help If you are a hurricane evacuee who is not eligible for FEMA housing assistance because you were not a homeowner or renter before Hurricane Rita, you may be eligible for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development s Disaster Voucher Program. To receive a referral, call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Has Your Address Changed? If We Can't Find You, We Can't Help You Whenever you relocate, please notify the U.S. Postal Service and FEMA. Without the newest change of address, mail may not be forwarded, and this could cause important information or checks to be returned as undeliverable. To update your address with FEMA, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). If you are speech- or hearing-impaired, call TTY 1-800-462-7585. To submit a change of address, visit any U.S. Post Office or call your local post office at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777). You also can file a change of address online at www.usps.com. If you have no telephone service or Internet access, go to the nearest post office, complete a change of address form, and submit it to the postal employee at the counter or mail it. It is postage free. Free Crisis Counseling Dealing with disasters can be stressful. Crisis counseling is a free, confidential service for survivors. It s not unusual for you and your family to feel like you re on an emotional roller coaster. Some days you are hopeful. Other days you re depressed and anxious about the future. Maybe you re having nightmares or difficulty sleeping. People of all ages can exhibit these symptoms, especially children, so these services are available for you and your family. The services also are available to families hosting evacuees, teachers in schools with evacuees and caregivers of evacuee children. Counselors can arrange to meet you at a local Disaster Recovery Center or other location. It s a chance to talk one-on-one with a trained professional counselor about how you are doing. Call the Crisis Counseling Hotline tollfree at 1-866-773-4243. Make sure disaster aid goes to those who deserve it. If you know of someone making false claims for disaster assistance or attempting to gain money illegally from disaster victims, please call the Hurricane Fraud Hotline: 1-866-720-5721 Need a Loan Against Your Insurance Claim? If you are insured and haven t received a settlement, you may qualify for an advance from FEMA. If a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed longer than 30 days from the time you filed the claim, you will need to write a letter to FEMA explaining the circumstances. You should include documentation from your insurance company proving your claim. If you filed your claim over the telephone, you should include the claim number, date you applied, and the estimated time of how long it will take to receive your settlement. Any help awarded to you by FEMA is considered an advance and must be repaid to FEMA once your insurance settlement is received. One-Stop Shops for Assistance To help meet ongoing needs, FEMA and The Texas Governor s Division of Emergency Management operate Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) in areas most affected by Hurricane Rita. After registering by phone or online for FEMA assistance, you can meet face-to-face with DRC representatives from local, state and federal agencies, as well as voluntary organizations all located under one roof to help you. Refer to the following list for the location nearest you. HOUSTON (HARRIS COUNTY) 6059 South Loop East Houston, Texas 77087 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed Sunday SAN ANTONIO (BEXAR COUNTY) Kelly AFB 280 Robert Dover St. Bldg. 1537 San Antonio, Texas 78226 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed Sunday DALLAS (DALLAS COUNTY) 8787 Stemmons Freeway Dallas, Texas 75247 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed Sunday ORANGE (ORANGE COUNTY) 4836 Bancroft Orange, Texas 77632 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed Sunday BEAUMONT (JEFFERSON COUNTY) 5545 B Eastex Loop Beaumont, Texas 77706 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed Sunday DRC Services - Ask about the status of your application - Discuss grants for home repairs and rental assistance - Talk with an SBA representative - Get referrals for free legal assistance - Get help finding a job, transportation or food assistance - Learn about medical, dental and funeral benefits - Learn about different types of state and federal assistance - Receive referrals to voluntary organizations to help with your unmet needs - Talk with a crisis counselor about stress or depression - Learn cost-effective ways to reduce the impact of future flooding or disaster losses - Get advice about your long-term housing plan Hurricane Evacuees May Qualify for Free Tax Return Assistance The federal tax filing season for 2005 individual income tax returns opened Jan. 1, 2006. Income tax returns and any tax payments owed for 2005 are due to the IRS no later than April 17, 2006. This deadline applies to hurricane victims. The IRS offers a number of programs that provide free assistance in completing tax returns to qualifying individuals. To determine if you qualify for these assistance programs and to locate the sites where the services are located, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. The IRS telephone number for hearing impaired individuals is 1-800-829-4059 for those with TTY equipment. Save Your Receipts If you are seeking or recertifying for rental assistance, save your receipts. Providing receipts is one of the key steps you can take to qualify for available grant funds. Even if you spent your initial rental assistance on items other than rent, such as food, transportation, medical needs or lodging, you may be able to recertify for another three months rent if those receipts were used for other emergency purposes. SBA Register by March 11 Low-Interest Loans Are Not Just for Businesses Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are the primary form of federal assistance for longterm recovery for homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes. Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property. Businesses of any size and private, non-profit organizations may apply to SBA for lowinterest disaster loans up to $1.5 million to repair or replace hurricane damaged real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory or other business assets. These loans cover uninsured losses or situations where the insurance coverage falls short of the replacement costs. For small businesses only, the SBA also offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to help meet working-capital needs created by the hurricane, even if the business did not have any property damage. Individuals and business owners may get help at any disaster recovery center or by calling SBA at 1-800-659-2955 or TTY 1-800-877- 8339 between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday. March 11 is the deadline to submit SBA loan applications. CLIP AND SAVE FEDERAL AGENCIES FEMA Registration ....................................................... 1-800-621-3362 FEMA TTY for hearing/speech impaired ............... 1-800-462-7585 FEMA Fraud Detection ................................................. 1-866-720-5721 National Flood Insurance Program ............................. 1-888-275-6347 U.S. Small Business Administration ............................ 1-800-659-2955 Social Security Administration ..................................... 1-800-772-1213 SSA TTY for hearing/speech impaired .................... 1-800-325-0778 Internal Revenue Service............................................. 1-800-829-1040 IRS TTY for hearing/speech impaired .................... 1-800-829-4059 U.S. Government Agencies/General Information ....... 1-800-333-4636 Department of Veterans Affairs ................................... 1-800-827-1000 U.S. Postal Service ......................................................... 1-800-275-8777 STATE AGENCIES Crisis Counseling (toll-free) .......................................... 1-866-773-4243 Insurance Department .................................................. 1-800-578-4677 Attorney General s Consumer Protection Hotline ..... 1-800-382-5516 Consumer Services ........................................................ 1-800-337-3928 Department of Licensing and Regulation ................... 1-800-803-9202 Texas Bar Association FEMA Legal Hotline ............... 1-800-504-7030 Department of Agriculture/Gulf Coast Region ........... 1-713-921-8200 Texas WorkSource/Employment .................................. 1-800-939-6631 VOLUNTEER AGENCIES American Red Cross ...................................................... 1-866-438-4636 Salvation Army .............................................................. 1-210-352-2020 United Way/Agency Referrals and Assistance ................................. 211