FEMA MAY REIMBURSE EMERGENCY LODGING EXPENSES [https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/fema-may-reimburse-emergency-lodging-expenses] Release Date: Th7 8, 2022 LODGING EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT (LER) FEMA’s Lodging Expense Reimbursement program may be able to provide lodging reimbursement to eligible residents for out-of-pocket expenses due to New Mexico’s ongoing wildfires. This is applicable as long as the emergency lodging is not covered by insurance benefits or was paid for by a non-profit or charitable organization. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR LER? Check your insurance policy to see if you have Additional Living Expenses (ALE) or Loss of Use coverage, which provides supplemental money to cover certain expenses when you are unable to live in your home due to a loss covered by insurance. By law, FEMA cannot duplicate insurance benefits or money received from non-profits or other charitable organizations that paid for your lodging, you may be considered eligible for LER: * If you had to seek emergency shelter because your home is unlivable due to damage caused by New Mexico's ongoing wildfires. * Your property is not covered by insurance such as Additional Living Expense (ALE), Loss of Use (LOU) coverage or you have insufficient insurance coverage to meet your temporary loss needs. * If your property was inaccessible, meaning the residence cannot be entered due to access restrictions such as fallen trees or downed power lines or restriction placed by State, local or federal government officials. * If you had to seek emergency lodging after being ordered to leave your property in a mandatory evacuation due to the state's ongoing wildfires, even if your house was not damaged. * Assistance for residents who had lodging expenses due to a mandatory evacuation is limited to the confirmed time period of evacuations provided by the State of New Mexico to FEMA. If a resident has no home damage and requests LER due to utilities out or mandatory evacuation, they will NOT be required to submit proof of their utility outage or mandatory evacuation; and repairs to make a home livable will not be required. * These applicants will ONLY be eligible for the time period in which their county was under a mandatory evacuation or extended utility outage, as identified in the below table. COUNTY DATE Colfax April 23, 2022 – May 27, 2022 Lincoln April 13, 2022 – April 27, 2022 Mora April 19, 2022 – June 24, 2022 San Miguel April 12, 2022 – June 24, 2022 Valencia April 5, 2022 – April 13, 2022 * LER is limited to reimbursement and is not provided in advance or in the form of direct payment to a hotel or motel. * The eligibility period for LER begins on April 5, 2022 and will end on the date the utility outage or mandatory evacuation ended, or 30 days from any initial Rental Assistance award certification date. HOW DO I GET REIMBURSED? Submit a copy of verifiable lodging receipts with the following information: * The name of the applicant or co-applicant * Information for the lodging provider (name, address and phone number) * Dates of occupancy * The amount of expenses incurred Residents can upload receipts online to their DisasterAssistance.gov [https://www.fema.gov///C:/Users/dstomber/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/D18NP9D5/DisasterAssistance.gov] account. Include the following information on all documents: Your name; last four digits of your social security number; your nine-digit FEMA application number; and FEMA’s disaster number for the New Mexico’s ongoing wildfires, which is DR-4652-NM. STILL NEED TO APPLY FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE? The quickest and easiest way to apply for FEMA assistance is to create an application and/or upload accompanying documents. Just go to disasterassistance.gov [https://www.fema.gov///C:/Users/dstomber/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/D18NP9D5/disasterassistance.gov/] and click the appropriate icon to start your application or check your application status. You can 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. For a complete list of DRCs in New Mexico, visit the egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator [https://www.fema.gov///C:/Users/dstomber/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/D18NP9D5/egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator]. All centers are closed Sundays. To address many of the common myths and rumors during the New Mexico wildfires, FEMA activated a rumor/myth webpage. You can access it online at fema.gov/nm-rumors [https://usfema-my.sharepoint.com/personal/0516593236_fema_dhs_gov/Documents/Desktop/DR%204652%20NM/Products/Fact%20Sheets/Emergency%20Warnings/fema.gov/nm-rumors]. For the latest information visit fema.gov/disaster/4652 [https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4652]. Follow the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at twitter.com/FEMARegion6 [https://twitter.com/FEMARegion6] or on Facebook at facebook.com/FEMARegion6/ [https://www.facebook.com/FEMARegion6/].