DETROIT – Residents of Southeast Michigan who experienced uninsured and underinsured damage or losses from the June 25-26 severe storms, flooding and tornadoes only have one week remaining to apply for federal assistance. The deadline to apply is Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. It’s important to understand the following six things when applying for the help you may still need:
Apply with FEMA now—before it’s too late
Residents of Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw and Wayne counties can apply for FEMA disaster assistance now. This assistance may include grants for temporary housing and emergency home repairs to make homes safe, accessible, and secure. To apply:
- Go to DisasterAssistance.gov. Online applications must be completed no later than midnight EST on Nov. 12.
- Call 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585). Operators are multilingual and calls are answered 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.
- Use the FEMA App.
- Visit any Disaster Recovery Center.
- State-FEMA disaster recovery centers are located at the Kemeny Recreation Center in Detroit and the Hamtramck City Hall. Both are open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Saturday. They will continue to operate until 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 and will be open during the Nov. 11th Veterans Day federal holiday.
- To find the location and operational hours of any center, visit FEMA’s DRC locator page at https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator.
Households with survivors who are not U.S. citizens may be eligible for FEMA assistance and should apply
FEMA is committed to helping all eligible survivors recover from the late June flooding. By requesting FEMA assistance, no one’s immigration status will be jeopardized. To qualify, a member of your household must be a U.S. citizen, a non- U.S. citizen national, or a qualified alien.
A parent or guardian who isn’t eligible, including the undocumented, may apply for disaster assistance on behalf of a child under age 18 or another household member who does qualify and has a Social Security number. The minor child must live with the parent or guardian applying on their behalf. The parent or guardian will not have to provide any information on their own immigration status or sign any documents regarding it. If you are unsure of your eligibility, FEMA will assist you through the process after you contact the agency.
FEMA grants are not considered income and are not taxable
Accepting a FEMA grant will not affect your Social Security benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other federal assistance programs. When you apply for FEMA assistance, you will not lose other federal benefits to which you are entitled.
Apply with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) now—before it’s too late
Homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofit organizations in Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw and Wayne counties have until Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, to return applications for low-interest physical disaster loans. There is no cost to apply and no obligation to take an SBA disaster loan. Residents who are declined an SBA loan may be referred to FEMA for grant consideration. For more information call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800- 877-8339 for the deaf and hard of hearing) or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.
You may still appeal FEMA’s decision regarding your assistance after the Nov. 12th deadline
Note the date on the decision letter you received. If you want FEMA to reconsider its decision, you have 60 days from the date on the decision letter to hand in, mail, fax or electronically upload your appeal. FEMA representatives can tell you the specifics of how to appeal FEMA’s decision and what to include in your appeal letter.
Survivors initially denied FEMA assistance due to insurance coverage may still be eligible later
FEMA is unable to duplicate insurance payments. If you have a homeowners insurance policy, file your insurance claim before applying to FEMA. If you are underinsured, you may receive assistance after your insurance claims have been settled, as long as you apply by the deadline.
You have up to 12 months from the date you applied with FEMA to appeal denials because of insurance issues. Contact a FEMA representative at 800-621-3362 for more details.
For more information about Michigan’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4607. The deadline for individuals to apply for disaster assistance is Nov. 12, 2021.
– This information is part of a FEMA new release, and is edited for style
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