Renters in St. Clair County Encouraged to Apply for FEMA Assistance

Release Date Release Number
DR-4676-IL NR-010
Release Date:
November 18, 2022

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, IL -- Renters in St. Clair County may be eligible for FEMA assistance if their home or personal property was damaged in the July floods.

FEMA may be able to help individuals pay for rent, temporary housing, and utilities – like gas, heating, and water bills.  FEMA assistance can also be used to help pay for damages to vehicles, furniture, appliances, clothing, school supplies, tools, and other job-related equipment.

So far, more than $14.2 million in federal assistance has been awarded to survivors in St. Clair County, IL.

There are several ways to apply for assistance:

  • Renters can apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov.
  • Renters can download the FEMA app to a smartphone or tablet.
  • Renters can call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585).
    • Operators can help survivors who do not speak English.
    • Operators can also answer questions about applications that have already been submitted.
  • Renters can visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) for in-person assistance.

The DRCs are located at the:

  • Clyde Jordan Senior Citizen Center: 6755 St., East St. Louis, IL 6220
  • Caseyville Village Hall: 909 South Main St., Caseyville, IL 62232

DRC Hours:

  • Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. They are closed on Sundays.
  • Holiday Hours: The DRCs will have special hours during Thanksgiving week.
    • Monday-Tuesday from 8:00 a.m-6:00 p.m.
    • Wednesday, November 23, from 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
    • Thursday, November 24, and Friday, November 25, closed
    • Saturday, November 26, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance is December 16, 2022.

Individuals who have renters insurance should call their insurance company to file a claim before applying to FEMA. The insurance information must be given to FEMA during the application process.

FEMA’s rental assistance may be able to help with rent and utilities. It can also be used to pay for security deposits. The money cannot be used to pay telephone, cable, or internet bills.

Renters will need to show ID and proof that they lived in the damaged home at the time of the floods.

Renters may also be eligible to get a low-interest loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The loans can help cover the costs of damages that insurance did not pay for.

If a renter is referred to the SBA, they are encouraged to apply for the loan. If they do not qualify, they may be eligible for additional FEMA assistance.

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 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).

For disaster updates from FEMA, follow @FEMAregion5 on Twitter, and turn on mobile notifications. Visit the disaster webpage at fema.gov/disaster/4676.

For disaster updates from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), follow @ReadyIllinois on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and turn on mobile notifications. http://www.illinois.gov/iema/ continues to be a go-to, single source to help Illinois residents easily find information and disaster-related resources.

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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.

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