Spokane, Wash. - Homeowners and renters in Spokane County who experienced property damage or losses from the August 2023 wildfires have only two more weeks to apply for federal disaster assistance.
Saturday, April 20, is the last day to apply for a grant from FEMA and for a disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Applying for FEMA Assistance
To apply with FEMA, visit DisasterAssistance.gov; use the FEMA mobile app or call the Disaster Assistance Helpline at 800-621-3362 or notify FEMA staff at a Disaster Recovery Center. Disaster centers are located at:
Church of the Open Bible
40015 N. Collins Rd.
Elk, WA 99009
Medical Lake City Hall
124 S. Lefevre St.
Medical Lake, WA 99022
If you require a reasonable accommodation -- such as language translation, mobility assistance, or sign language interpretation -- email FEMA-language-access-request@fema.dhs.gov or notify staff in the field.
Residents are encouraged also to file insurance claims for damage to their homes, personal property and vehicles. If there’s a delay in your insurance settlement, any FEMA funding would be considered an advance that must be repaid when you receive your settlement. FEMA assistance is not taxed and will not affect Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.
U.S. Small Business Administration
FEMA may refer individuals to the U.S. Small Business Administration even if they do not own a business or home. SBA loans are the largest source of federal disaster funding for people impacted by disasters. The deadline to apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the SBA is also April 20. If you decide you do not want to submit a loan application, you will not be eligible for certain types of additional assistance from FEMA.
To apply for a disaster loan from SBA, visit SBA’s disaster website: sba.gov/disaster, contact SBA by email at disastercustomerservice@sba,gov or call 800-659-2955 for information. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability, may call 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.