As of Tuesday, $119,971 has been paid out to 172 Lee County residents and assistance is also available to non-U.S. Citizens.
“The recovery from Hurricane Matthew is far from over,” said Mike Sprayberry, NC Emergency Management director.
North Carolina residents who are non-U.S citizens and are survivors of Hurricane Matthew may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance if they have a Social Security number, permanent resident card (green card) or if a minor child who lives in the household has a Social Security number.
To qualify for assistance from FEMA's Individuals and Households Program, the applicant or at least one member of a household must be a non-citizen national of the United States or a qualified alien (green cardholder, someone with legal status due to asylum, refugee or other humanitarian reason).
Applicants are required to sign a Declaration and release form, stating that applicants are non-citizens, nationals or a qualified aliens. If applicants are unable to sign the forms, another adult household member, who is eligible, can sign.
Undocumented parents or guardians can apply on the behalf of a minor child, who lives with them and who is a U.S. Citizen or a qualified alien and has a Social Security number. FEMA or the Social Security Administration can assist in obtaining social security numbers for minor child (Social Security Numbers for Children).
FEMA does not ask questions regarding citizenships or immigration statuses of other household members and no information will be gathered.
Disaster survivors may register any of the following ways:
• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
• FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 for voice, 711 and Video Relay Service. If applicants are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities and use TTY, call 800-462-7585.
• Download the FEMA Mobile App and apply.
Calls will be answered from 7 a.m. through 11 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.
On Oct. 11, HUD announced that they will speed federal disaster assistance to North Carolina to provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes due to Hurricane Matthew.
“HUD is an important partner in the North Carolina recovery process,” said Libby Turner, federal coordinating officer for the North Carolina disaster response and recovery. “Providing housing for those whose homes were flooded is vital to getting survivors and communities back on their feet.”
HUD disaster related services for North Carolina include:
• Disaster assistance for those who lived in public housing, a Section 8 unit or have a Housing Choice Voucher. Survivors should contact the housing provider that assisted them before the disaster and contact HUD at (336) 851-8058 or email at hudhelpingu@hud.gov.
• Homeowner information and assistance regarding foreclosure or questions about next steps with their home. Survivors may contact a HUD approved housing counseling agency by calling 800-569-4287. Survivors do not have to have a FHA loan to meet with a HUD approved housing counseling agency and there is never a fee for foreclosure prevention counseling.
Help may also be available to all people impacted by Hurricane Matthew and the subsequent flooding from voluntary agencies, nonprofit and faith-based organizations.
“Volunteer organizations are a crucial part in helping people recover,” said Sprayberry. “Because there is much work left to be done, I encourage anyone who is able to volunteer with these organizations to please do so.”
The North Carolina Baptist Men's Ministry Disaster Relief, United Methodists, Catholic Charities, Mennonite Disaster Service, the United Way, the American Red Cross and dozens of other organizations are providing assistance to survivors who have unmet needs as a result of the disaster.
FEMA's Voluntary Agency Liaisons:
• Assist the organizations with federal programs, deadlines, coordination of effort and donation management.
• Identifies special-needs populations and help applicants avoid duplication of benefits.
• Educate, guide and promote long-term recovery in affected communities to bring back a sense of normalcy to the residents.
Voluntary organizations that donate resources to help reduce municipal costs in disaster recovery may qualify for an offset of costs under the FEMA Public Assistance Donate Resources Program, if emergency work is organized by an eligible Public Assistance program applicant, such as a local or tribal government and documentation is submitted.
Eligible work includes:
• Removing eligible debris.
• Filling and placing sandbags.
• Donating equipment and materials for use in emergency response.
• Search and rescue.
• When part of organized response operation, mass care and sheltering of disaster survivors are also eligible.
Registering with FEMA is a separate process from registering with a volunteer organization. Residents who experienced losses from Hurricane Matthew should register with FEMA as soon as possible online at DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling 800-621-3362 for voice, 711 and Video Relay Service. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585. Applications may also register using the FEMA Mobile App.
Registration ends on Dec. 9.
To find available resources through voluntary organizations, call 2-1-1 or visit nc211.org, a statewide information and referral service. If using a relay service call 877-541-7905.
North Carolinians who want to know more about the work of the national and local volunteer organizations should visit nvoad.org or ncvoad.org/cms/.
Programs such as Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services and other short-term, non-cash emergency assistance are available to individuals and families regardless of citizenship status.
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©2016 The Sanford Herald (Sanford, N.C.)
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