Wildfire Survivors Must Apply To Extend Time For FEMA Rental Assistance
Wildfire survivors who received an initial rental assistance award may be eligible for an extension of that after two months but must request it.
Many individuals and households who had to move after their homes were damaged or lost due to August/September wildfires in 13 counties have been receiving help from FEMA paying rent on temporary alternative housing. The counties are Butte, Lake, Lassen, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity, Tulare and Yolo.
Two weeks after a household initially receives rental assistance,FEMA mails them a letter or an application for an extension. Anyone currently receiving temporary housing assistance who has not received a letter or an application and needs to continue that support may request an application for continuation by calling the FEMA Helpline at (800) 621-3362 (TTY (800) 462-7585) between 7 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. PST. Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, Innocaption or CapTel, should provide FEMA with the specific number assigned to that service when they register.
To be eligible for an extension of temporary housing assistance, survivors must demonstrate that they need it by submitting documentation to FEMA that includes:
- A completed FEMA application for continuing rental assistance.
- A copy of the applicant’s lease.
- Receipts showing that rental aid already received was properly used to pay for disaster housing.
- Report of the household’s income.
- Report of the household’s financial obligations.
FEMA will evaluate the request to determine if the applicant is eligible for an extension. There is no guarantee of rental assistance beyond the first two months.
FEMA rental assistance may be used for a house, apartment, hotel, motel, manufactured home, recreational vehicle (RV), houseboat or other kind of living space that is available for rent.
Rental assistance extensions must be applied for every three months with the total period of assistance for eligible survivors not to exceed 18 months from Aug. 22, 2020, the date of the major disaster declaration.
If you have questions about the process or the required documents, you may call the FEMA helpline.
FEMA cannot provide rental assistance unless survivors keep their addresses and telephone numbers up to date so they can be contacted. If your contact information changes,you can update it online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the FEMA helpline.
Nov. 21 is the deadline for residents of the 13 counties included in the Aug. 22 disaster declaration to register for FEMA assistance.
For the latest information on wildfire recovery, visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4558 and follow the FEMA Region 9 Twitter account at https://twitter.com/femaregion9.
###
All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call (800) 621-3362 or (800) 462-7585 (TTY/TDD).
FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during, and after disasters.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property.
For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. TTY users may also call 800-877-8339. Applicants may also email [email protected] or visit SBA at SBA.gov/disaster.