Renters in Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, Montgomery, Panola and Sharkey counties whose homes and property were damaged by the March 24-25 storms can apply for FEMA disaster assistance.
FEMA Individual Assistance is available to renters, including students, as well as homeowners. Federal grants can help pay for temporary housing. The initial rental grant is for a one-month or two-month period and can be reviewed for further assistance.
Renters may also qualify for a grant under FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program for uninsured essential personal property losses and other disaster-related expenses. These may include:
- Replacement or repair of necessary personal property, such as furniture, appliances, clothing, textbooks, or school supplies.
- Replacement or repair of tools and other job-related equipment required by the self-employed.
- If your primary vehicle was damaged by the storms and is no longer operable (and the vehicle complies with state registration and insurance requirements) FEMA may be able to help. Not all damages are covered so check with FEMA to see if your vehicle is eligible.
- Uninsured or out-of-pocket medical, dental, childcare, moving and storage expenses.
You can apply to FEMA for federal assistance by visiting a local Disaster Recovery Center, online at disasterassistance.gov, by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. Central Time seven days a week, or by using the FEMA mobile app. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. Assistance is available in most languages.
Renters may also be able to borrow up to $40,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to replace damaged or destroyed personal property such as clothing, furniture, appliances or cars. First, they must apply to FEMA, then apply to SBA.