AUSTIN, Texas – Survivors in Hidalgo, Cameron or Jim Wells County that were impacted by the recent severe storms and flooding and were receiving rental assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) prior to the disaster, may be eligible for disaster assistance from FEMA.
When a HUD-assisted resident's home becomes unlivable, HUD stops paying rental assistance for that residence. The survivor may then apply for FEMA disaster assistance.
Eligible survivors include those who were:
Living in HUD-assisted public housing.Living in a privately owned apartment that provides rental assistance from HUD.Living in a private home using a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher from a housing authority.
HUD-assistance survivors may be eligible for:
Temporary assistance to pay for a place to live. Grants to replace essential contents—such as clothing and essential household items—and medical, dental and burial expenses.Those who have HUD rental assistance may receive FEMA help to pay for a place to live until:
They relocate back to public housing.They relocate back to the private housing that provides HUD assistance.They sign a lease with a private property owner using a Section 8 voucher.When the survivor moves back into a HUD-assisted residence, or signs a new lease for rental housing under the Section 8 program, HUD assistance resumes. At that point, the survivor may no longer receive FEMA assistance. Federal law prevents FEMA from duplicating benefits provided by another agency.
Survivors can register for FEMA assistance through Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018, online at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, or may call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Survivors may also visit a disaster recovery center to apply for assistance (find a disaster recovery center at https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator).
