Village of Pelham Manor: Caseworker contact in Rep. Bowman’s office for disaster help

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September 7, 2021

Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Village of Pelham Manor.

U.S. Congressman Bowman’s office has graciously provided some helpful information for constituents regarding FEMA relief funds. Please see the attached information sheets (at the end of this page below) on our website, and please reach out to his office directly if you have additional questions and concerns. The casework email is [email protected].gov

Pelham Manor will continue to work collaboratively with our County, State & Federal counterparts to get residents all disaster relief information and resources as they become available. As always, all residents may contact Village Hall at 914-738-8820, Monday through Friday, 830am to 430pm, and our staff will assist you with this or any other issue.  Please pass this critical information on to your neighbors who do not have access to online methods of communications or have them call us Village Hall.

As previously posted, the President approved Governor Hochul’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration, which will allow FEMA to provide much-needed federal relief to individuals, households, businesses, schools, non-profits, and localities in our district. The Congressman’s office expressed appreciation for the hard work of our local and state officials, as well as our New York Congressional Delegation, for working through the weekend to make this possible.

**The full Policy Guide for the Individual Assistance Program can be found here. It has in-depth information on each of the programs. Below are high-level summaries of each program. In cases where constituents are seeking further questions, please first refer to the policy guide. If that guide does not include answers, our office can submit an inquiry to FEMA.**

Individuals and Households Program (IHP): Provides financial assistance and direct services to eligible individuals and households who have uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses. The below is from the FEMA website:

  • Eligibility:
    • Applicant must be a US Citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien
    • FEMA must be able to verify the applicant’s identity
    • The applicant’s insurance, or other forms of disaster assistance received, cannot meet their disaster-caused needs.
    • The applicant’s necessary expenses are directly caused by a declared disaster (note: Westchester and Bronx Counties are within the declared disaster region)
  • Financial Housing Assistance Provisions: 
    • Rental Assistance: For renting alternate housing accommodations while an applicant is displaced from their disaster-damaged primary residence. This resource is not subject to a maximum award limitation
    • Lodging expense reimbursement: Reimbursement for hotels, motels, or other short-term lodging while displaced from their disaster-damaged primary residence
    • Home Repair Assistance: To help repair an owner-occupied disaster-damaged primary residence, utilities, and residential structure. This includes repairs to driveways and roads on private owner-occupied property. This can include repairs necessary under the American with Disabilities Act.
    • Replacement Assistance: To help homeowners replace an owner-occupied primary residence when residence is destroyed by disaster
  • Direct Housing Assistance: In cases where there are not available housing resources, FEMA also offers Direct Housing Assistance, which includes:
    • Multi-family lease and repair: Allows FEMA to enter lease agreements with owners of multi-family rental properties in disaster areas and make repairs to provide temporary housing
    • Transportable Temporary Housing Units: FEMA can purchase or lease an RV or manufactured home to eligible applicants for use as temporary housing
    • Direct Lease: FEMA can provide existing ready-for-occupancy residential properties
    • Permanent Housing Construction: Home repair and/or construction services in cases where other types of typical FEMA housing assistance isn’t available.
  • Frequently Asked Questions about IHP:
    • Will this impact other federal benefits I can receive? No. IHP is NOT considered income or a resource when determining eligibility for federal government programs (e.g. Social Security, SNAP). IHP is also exempt from garnishment or seizure
    • If I have insurance, am I still eligible for IHP? This program is intended for those who are underinsured or uninsured. To be eligible, the applicant’s insurance or other forms of disaster assistance received, cannot meet their disaster-caused needs.

Other Needs Assistance Provision:

  • Small Business Administration provides long-term loans to help eligible applicants with transportation losses, moving and storage expenses, as well as repair/replacement funds for real and personal property damage. Only applicants who do not qualify for a loan from the SBA, or who were approved for a partial loan that does not cover the full need, can be eligible.
    • Personal Property Assistance: to repair/replace essential household items (includes furnishings and appliances)
    • Transportation Assistance: to repair/replace eligible vehicle damaged by a disaster and other transportation-related costs
    • Moving/Storage Assistance: To relocate and store personal essential household goods
  • Other types of ONA offered outside of the Small Business Administration
    • Funeral Assistance: To assist with funeral costs directly or indirectly related to a declared emergency or major disaster.
    • Medical and Dental Assistance: To assist with medical or dental expenses caused by a disaster.
    • Child Care Assistance: One-time payment up to 8 cumulative weeks of child care expenses for a household’s increased financial burden to care for children aged 13 and under and/or children up to age 21 with a disability

Disaster Unemployment Assistance: Disaster Unemployment Assistance provides financial assistance to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits.

  • Eligibility: Generally available to unemployed workers or self-employed individuals who lived, worked, or was scheduled to work in the disaster area at the time of the disaster; and due to the disaster:
    • no longer has a job or a place to work; or
    • cannot reach the place of work; or
    • cannot work due to damage to the place of work; or
    • cannot work because of an injury caused by the disaster.
  • DUA benefits are available only for weeks of unemployment within the Disaster Assistance Period (DAP). The DAP begins with the first day of the week following the date the major disaster began and continues for up to 26 weeks after the date the disaster was declared by the President.
  • The maximum weekly benefit amount payable is determined under the provisions of the state law for unemployment compensation in NYS. However, the minimum weekly benefit amount payable is half (50%) of the average benefit amount in the state.
  • How to apply

Disaster Legal Services: Provides free legal help to low-income disaster survivors. If you’re not able to get adequate legal services for your disaster-related needs, DLS may be able to help.

  • Eligibility: Low-income household who was directly impacted by the disaster.
  • Disaster legal services can help with:
    • Insurance claims for medical bills, loss of property, and loss of life
    • New wills, powers of attorney, and other legal papers lost during the disaster
    • Home repair contracts and contractors
    • Issues with landlords related to the disaster
    • Proof of home ownership
    • FEMA appeals

There are two relevant provisions under the Individual Assistance Program that support individuals and households, but that state/local governments apply to (rather than individuals and households themselves). They are:

  • Disaster Case Management: DCM is a time-limited partnership between a case manager and a disaster survivor to develop and carry out a Disaster Recovery Plan. This partnership provides the client with a single person to facilitate access to a broad range of resources.
    • Services are provided at no cost and are available to any survivor that has been impacted by the disaster, regardless of eligibility for FEMA IHP or other Federal assistance. Individuals and Households do not need to be registered with FEMA to receive Federal Disaster Case Management assistance.
  • Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program: Funds mental health assistance and training activities in areas that have received a Presidential major disaster declaration for Individual Assistance upon request by a state, tribal or territorial government. Crisis counseling seeks to help survivors understand that they are experiencing common reactions to extraordinary occurrences.
    • Services can include individual or group crisis counseling; assessment, referral and resource linkage; development and distribution of education materials; and media and public service announcements

How can constituents access FEMA assistance?

Supporting constituents who speak different languages:

Assistance for School Districts:

  • All prospective applicants must complete the Request for Public Assistance (RPA) FEMA Form 009-0-49. A private non-profit (PNP) entity must provide, in addition to the RPA, the following information:  PNP Facility Questionnaire (FEMA Form 90-121)  A current ruling letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) granting tax exemption under sections 501(c), (d), or (e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; OR documentation from the State substantiating it is a non-revenue producing, non-profit entity organized or doing business under State law;  If the applicant owns the facility, proof of ownership; if the applicant leases the facility, proof of legal responsibility to repair the incident-related damage;  List of services provided in the facility and when and to whom.

Assistance for House of Worships:

  • Houses of worship may eligible under the Public Assistance Program. See attached fact sheet on Public Assistance, Houses of Worship – PDF attached below.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

1. Has FEMA determined what type of on-the-ground support they will have to help individuals apply for assistance, and where these centers of support would be located?

FEMA is work with our state and local partners to identify locations for disaster recovery centers.  These could come in the form of mobile, fixed, or virtual. In the interim, we are working with NYCEM about posting Disaster Survivor Assistance personnel at each of the City’s Service Centers who will be able to register survivors with FEMA.

2. Are undocumented individuals eligible for all Individual Assistance programs? If not, where can I find information about which programs undocumented individuals are eligible for? I know at the briefing you mentioned following up with offices individually on this. We would love to receive any information you have available regarding this issue.

During the disaster assistance registration process, applicants self-certify their citizenship status and declare, under penalty of perjury, they are a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien. Only those three citizenship statuses may be eligible for IHP assistance.  If the applicant does not match one of those three citizenship statuses, the household may still apply and be considered for IHP assistance if:

  • Another adult household member meets the citizenship criteria, certifies their citizenship status, and is included as the co-applicant on the application; or
  • The parent or guardian of a minor child who is a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or a qualified alien applies for assistance on behalf of the child, as long as they live in the same household and parent or guardian is at least 18 years of age. In these instances, the child should be registered as the applicant and their parent or guardian listed as the co-applicant.

Regardless of citizenship status, disaster survivors may be eligible for Mass Care and Emergency Assistance, such as search and rescue, medical care, shelter, food and water, and reducing threats to life, property, and public health or safety.

3. Are there any guidelines you can share with our office for how to best support residents in our district preparing to apply for Individual Assistance if it becomes available?

  • Before registering, if residents have insurance, they should file a claim with their respective insurance carriers. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments. We may be able to help with uninsured or underinsured losses.
  • Once a declaration is approved, homeowners and renters can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov, use the FEMA App, or call 1-800-321-3362. Using online registration will be the quickest way to register.
  • If survivors can safely get into their home, they should document damage using photographs or videos.
  • If they have flood insurance, they should report losses immediately to their insurance agent or carrier. They should be sure to ask them about advance payments. If they need help finding their insurance agent or carrier, have them call the National Flood Insurance Program at 877-336-2627.