Connecticut residents in Fairfield, New Haven and New London counties who suffered damage or losses from remnants of Hurricane Ida, have one month left to apply for disaster assistance with FEMA and low-interest disaster loans with U.S. Small Business Administration.
FEMA disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance. The application deadline is Jan. 28, 2022.
Survivors may register with FEMA the following ways: Online at DisasterAssistance.gov; Download the FEMA app; Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585). Lines are open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Help is available in most languages.
Survivors should keep their contact information updated because FEMA may need to reach them to perform a home inspection or get additional information. FEMA encourages survivors to request direct deposit of disaster assistance to their financial institution. Survivors should let FEMA know as soon as possible of any changes to their mailing or banking information.
Disaster assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster. The assistance is intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts.
Low-interest Disaster Loans
U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loans are available for businesses, homeowners and renters. Next to insurance, low-interest disaster loans from SBA are the primary source of funds for Connecticut disaster survivors to make property repairs and replace personal property destroyed by Hurricane Ida.
Through SBA, homeowners may be eligible for a disaster loan up to $200,000 for primary residence structural repairs or rebuilding. SBA may also be able to help homeowners and renters with up to $40,000 to replace important personal property, including automobiles damaged or destroyed in the disaster.
SBA can also help businesses and private nonprofit organizations with up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and other business assets. Additionally, eligible small businesses and nonprofits can apply for economic injury disaster loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster.
For more information, or to request a paper application, contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center call 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visit SBA’s website at sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.
The application filing deadline for SBA physical damage loans is Jan. 28.
The application filing deadline for SBA economic injury loans for businesses affected by the storm is Aug. 1.
For the latest information visit fema.gov/disaster/4629. Follow the FEMA Region 1 Twitter account at twitter.com/FEMAregion1.