Cy Fair Sun - News
Town Hall Meeting to address FEMA questions, among others
By JENNIFER BRANCH COGAN
Now that the task of choosing elected officials has been finalized, some members of the community are trying to move forward with rebuilding efforts that are necessary after Hurricane Ike.
Several people in the community are still under FEMA’s blue roofs and one local church is looking to give people a forum to find answers to questions they may have.
Glen Woodard, a FEMA liaison will be speaking at Fallbrook Church Nov. 15 at a Town Hall meeting that will rum from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. State Rep. for district 139 Sylvester Turner will also be speaking at the Town Hall meeting.
Fallbrook Church is located at 12512 Walters Rd., Houston TX, 77014.
Here are a few statistics from FEMA sources:
More than 715,000 registrations have been received for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance.
More than $337 million has been approved for disaster assistance under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program. This includes more than $274 million in Housing Assistance and more than $63 million in Other Needs Assistance.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $177 million in low-interest disaster loans.
More than 363,500 FEMA home inspections have been completed.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, local governments and approved contractors have cleared more than 16.6 million cubic yards of debris from disaster-affected counties.
The Army Corps of Engineers has installed more than 27,000 temporary roofs through Operation Blue Roof.
Texans seeking rental housing can search more than 32,000 Texas rental properties through FEMA’s Housing Portal, available online at https://asd.fema.gov/inter/hportal/home.htm.
FEMA has provided temporary manufactured housing for more than 400 applicants for those living in communities where other housing options are not feasible.
The 100th Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) opened this week. Nearly 95,000 visits have been made to the centers. There are 41 FEMA/State DRCs open in affected counties, offering face-to-face assistance. A list of current locations can be found at http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/pages/dr1791_drc_list.htm.
More than 150 Community Relations field specialists — including speakers of Spanish, Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian and Cambodian — are canvassing areas hit by the hurricane, distributing information about FEMA programs and reaching out to community groups.
More than $79 million has been obligated to Texas local governments and private nonprofits for Public Assistance, and more than 1,000 requests for Public Assistance projects have been submitted.
The Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program has been extended for eligible applicants until Jan. 15, 2009.
FEMA has distributed more than $268 million in housing assistance funds to help Texans affected by Hurricane Ike. Officials from the Texas Governor’s Division of Emergency Management (TXGDEM) and FEMA caution recipients to use their funds wisely and well.
Distributed via check or direct deposit, housing funds are intended to help residents meet basic disaster-related needs and begin rebuilding their lives. If an applicant spends the payment on anything other than the purpose for which it is intended, no additional assistance may be granted if the need arises in the future.
Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for minimal temporary repairs on damaged homes, temporary housing, or other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources. A letter explaining the payment’s purpose will arrive within a day or two of the check or direct deposit payment.
Grant recipients are urged to keep receipts of their disaster spending for three years to demonstrate how the money was used to meet disaster-related needs. They are required to sign a declaration and a release certifying all funds will be spent on the expenses for which they are intended. If a recipient receives an insurance settlement to cover the same expenses, he or she must reimburse FEMA. Random audits may be done to confirm funds were spent properly.
Applicants should also update their address and phone number by calling FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Otherwise, they may miss important correspondence or telephones calls regarding their payments or applications for assistance. Certain government checks cannot be forwarded.
Several people in the community are still under FEMA’s blue roofs and one local church is looking to give people a forum to find answers to questions they may have.
Glen Woodard, a FEMA liaison will be speaking at Fallbrook Church Nov. 15 at a Town Hall meeting that will rum from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. State Rep. for district 139 Sylvester Turner will also be speaking at the Town Hall meeting.
Fallbrook Church is located at 12512 Walters Rd., Houston TX, 77014.
Here are a few statistics from FEMA sources:
More than 715,000 registrations have been received for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance.
More than $337 million has been approved for disaster assistance under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program. This includes more than $274 million in Housing Assistance and more than $63 million in Other Needs Assistance.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $177 million in low-interest disaster loans.
More than 363,500 FEMA home inspections have been completed.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, local governments and approved contractors have cleared more than 16.6 million cubic yards of debris from disaster-affected counties.
The Army Corps of Engineers has installed more than 27,000 temporary roofs through Operation Blue Roof.
Texans seeking rental housing can search more than 32,000 Texas rental properties through FEMA’s Housing Portal, available online at https://asd.fema.gov/inter/hportal/home.htm.
FEMA has provided temporary manufactured housing for more than 400 applicants for those living in communities where other housing options are not feasible.
The 100th Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) opened this week. Nearly 95,000 visits have been made to the centers. There are 41 FEMA/State DRCs open in affected counties, offering face-to-face assistance. A list of current locations can be found at http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/pages/dr1791_drc_list.htm.
More than 150 Community Relations field specialists — including speakers of Spanish, Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian and Cambodian — are canvassing areas hit by the hurricane, distributing information about FEMA programs and reaching out to community groups.
More than $79 million has been obligated to Texas local governments and private nonprofits for Public Assistance, and more than 1,000 requests for Public Assistance projects have been submitted.
The Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program has been extended for eligible applicants until Jan. 15, 2009.
FEMA has distributed more than $268 million in housing assistance funds to help Texans affected by Hurricane Ike. Officials from the Texas Governor’s Division of Emergency Management (TXGDEM) and FEMA caution recipients to use their funds wisely and well.
Distributed via check or direct deposit, housing funds are intended to help residents meet basic disaster-related needs and begin rebuilding their lives. If an applicant spends the payment on anything other than the purpose for which it is intended, no additional assistance may be granted if the need arises in the future.
Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for minimal temporary repairs on damaged homes, temporary housing, or other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources. A letter explaining the payment’s purpose will arrive within a day or two of the check or direct deposit payment.
Grant recipients are urged to keep receipts of their disaster spending for three years to demonstrate how the money was used to meet disaster-related needs. They are required to sign a declaration and a release certifying all funds will be spent on the expenses for which they are intended. If a recipient receives an insurance settlement to cover the same expenses, he or she must reimburse FEMA. Random audits may be done to confirm funds were spent properly.
Applicants should also update their address and phone number by calling FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Otherwise, they may miss important correspondence or telephones calls regarding their payments or applications for assistance. Certain government checks cannot be forwarded.
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