WILLISTON, Vt.– Renters in Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, Rutland, Washington, Windham and Windsor counties whose homes and property were damaged by the July severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides 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 damage is 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.
You don’t need to visit a recovery center to apply for FEMA assistance. To apply without visiting a center, go online at DisasterAssistance.gov call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time seven days a week, or use the FEMA mobile app. If you use a relay service, such as videorelay (VRS), captionedtelephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. Assistance is available in most languages.
If you live in an undesignated county and have damage you can call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 to apply and if a designation for your county occurs, your application will begin to process.
The recovery centers are accessible to people with disabilities and access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology equipment. Survivors who need a reasonable accommodation or sign language interpreter may call 833-285-7448 (press 2 for Spanish).
Representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will also be at the centers to explain how to apply for SBA’s low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, businesses, and private nonprofits, and provide information about rebuilding to make homes more disaster-resistant.
Renters may also be able to borrow up to $40,000 from SBA to replace damaged or destroyed personal property such as clothing, furniture, appliances or cars. It is recommended they apply for FEMA assistance before applying to SBA, but not required.
For the latest information visit fema.gov/disaster/4720. Follow the FEMA Region 1 account at Twitter twitter.com/FEMARegion1 or the Facebook page at facebook.com/FEMA.
For updates on the Vermont response and recovery, follow the Vermont Emergency Management Agency twitter.com/vemvt on Twitter and Facebook facebook.com/vermontemergencymanagement.
FEMA is committed to ensuring disaster assistance is accomplished equitably, without discrimination on the grounds of to race, color, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. Any disaster survivor or member of the public may contact the FEMA Civil Rights Office if they feel that they are the victim of discrimination. FEMA’s Civil Rights Office can be contacted toll-free at 833-285-7448. Multilingual operators are available.