FEMA FUNDING TOPS $172 MILLION FOR MONROE COUNTY IRMA SURVIVORS

 MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County homeowners and renters impacted by Hurricane Irma have received more than $172.4 million in federal funding for housing, flood insurance claims and other recovery needs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

 Monroe County has helped facilitate some of FEMA’s programs. Here is the latest since Hurricane Irma struck the Keys on Sept. 10:

  •  FEMA has provided $59.8 million in grants to more than 16,400 Monroe County homeowners and renters. FEMA grants can include money for temporary rental assistance, home repairs and other needs not covered by insurance, such as replacing destroyed personal property.
  •  The National Flood Insurance Program, which is part of FEMA, has paid $112.6 million in flood insurance claims to Monroe County policyholders, according to preliminary data.
  •  To date, the U. S. Small Business Administration had approved nearly $147 million in low-interest disaster loans for residents, business owners and non-profits in Monroe County. This includes 1,901 home loans totaling $101.9 million, 380 business loans totaling $39.1 million and 87 Economic Injury Disaster Loans totaling $5.6 million.

 DIRECT HOUSING FROM FEMA

  • To date, 231 Monroe County households have received temporary housing supplied by FEMA. This includes 203 households that have been licensed into temporary travel trailers and 28 households living in FEMA direct-lease properties.
  • Part of the FEMA license agreement for a travel trailer requires the applicant to search for long-term housing options. Every 30 days FEMA evaluates each applicant’s eligibility to remain in the trailer.
  • Survivors do not apply for a travel trailer or direct-lease property. FEMA will call survivors if they are eligible for direct housing.

TRANSITIONAL SHELTERING ASSISTANCE

  • As of Jan. 8, 2018, members of 270 Monroe County households who have uninhabitable primary residences and have encountered difficulty finding an appropriate place to rent, are staying in hotels under FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program. That number is down from a cumulative high of about 2,860.
  • This temporary hotel program deadline has been extended more than once, based on survivor needs and rental property availability. Continued eligibility for each household is determined on a case-by-case basis, so the program’s check-out deadline may or may not apply to a specific household.
  • Monroe County is working with charitable organizations on case management for the households in the temporary hotel program and other people who are displaced to help them find housing.  

HELP IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES/NON-PROFITS

  • June 11, 2018 is the deadline to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the U.S. Small Business Administration. SBA partners with FEMA to provide low interest, disaster loans following a major disaster. EIDLs are working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes, meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster.
  • For more information, contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing [email protected], or visiting SBA’s Web site at sba.gov/disaster.

HOME INSPECTIONS 

  • FEMA has conducted more than 21,735 home inspections in Monroe County for assistance eligibility. About 99.9 percent of the eligibility home inspections have been completed. As more inspections are done, more FEMA grant money for uninsured losses, such as for home repairs, may be approved for survivors. This process can help more people move back home or find alternative housing.
  • By law, FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments. About 29,000 insurance claims have been filed in Monroe County, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation’s Hurricane Irma webpage.

STEP PROGRAM UPDATE 

  • Another program activated in Monroe County is called Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP). Monroe County is receiving up to $10 million for this program that provides up to $20,000 in temporary emergency repairs, so survivors can remain in their homes while more permanent repairs are made.
  • The deadline to register for this program has passed
  • For the STEP program, 318 households registered with 201 right of entry forms completed by the deadline. As of Jan. 8, 154 inspections have been completed. Construction has been completed for 9 homes and another 18 have construction in progress.

STAY IN TOUCH WITH FEMA

  • Although the deadline to register with FEMA has passed, you may continue to contact FEMA to ask questions, update your contact information or request additional assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 or visiting DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • Only one registration per household is needed. Hold onto your nine-digit FEMA registration ID number, so you can provide it if you need to contact FEMA.  
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