Thursday, January 19, 2017

North Carolina Hurricane Survivors: Housing Resources Are Available

DURHAM
Jan 19, 2017

Survivors of Hurricane Matthew’s October 4-24, 2016, flooding who are in need of somewhere to live on a long-term basis should be finalizing their plans to find permanent housing.

Are you confused about the next step in the recovery process, like finding appropriate accommodation or understanding what documents you may need to have on hand? Do you know someone who is looking for a permanent place to live? There are resources available. The first thing to do is to call FEMA for assistance.

If you have not yet registered, be sure to do so before the 11:59 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23 deadline. Here’s how:

  • Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 for voice, 711 and Video Relay Service. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585.
  • Online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • Download the FEMA Mobile App and apply.

Here are some resources that can help in your search for housing:

  • NCHousingSearch.org (NCHousingSearch.org) a free service to locate available and affordable rental housing. The service is available online or through this toll-free, bilingual call center, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., at 877-428-8844.
  • The FEMA Housing Portal (asd.fema.gov/inter/hportal/home.htm) provides rental housing information arranged by area. You may also call 800-621-3362 for voice, 711 and Video Relay Service. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585.
  • If you lived in public housing or in a multi-family Section 8 apartment or had a Housing Choice Voucher before Hurricane Matthew, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may be able to help you. Contact the housing provider that assisted you before the disaster and contact HUD at 336-851-8058 or email hudhelpingu@hud.gov (mailto:hudhelping@hub.gov).

HUD also may offer information and assistance to those facing foreclosure. Call 800-569-4287 to talk to a housing counselor.

HUD, FEMA and other federal and state agencies are hosting disaster recovery resource fairs. On Saturday, Jan. 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., homeowners and renters are invited to the Edgecombe County Administrative Building at 201 St. Andrews Street in Tarboro to gather information on housing resources, foreclosure prevention, and more.

On Saturday, Jan. 28, a similar fair will be held in Wayne County at the Goldsboro Event Center, 1501 South Slocumb Street. This fair was originally scheduled to be held Jan. 9, and was postponed due to inclement weather.

For more information on the disaster recovery resource fairs, call 336-851-8058.

Voluntary organizations in each community may help in a number of ways, including finding housing. Referrals for unmet needs are available by calling the United Way at 211. North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster offers a list of organizations currently assisting survivors at www.ncvoad.org/cms/NCVOADmembership.

For more information on North Carolina’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4285 and readync.org. Follow FEMA on Twitter at @femaregion4 and North Carolina Emergency Management @NCEmergency.

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Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362 or TTY at 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow FEMA on twitter at @femaregion4. Download the FEMA app with tools and tips to keep you safe before, during, and after disasters.

Dial 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162 to speak with a trained call specialist about questions you have regarding Hurricane Matthew; the service is free, confidential and available in any language. They can help direct you to resources. Call 5-1-1 or 877-511-4662 for the latest road conditions or check the ReadyNC mobile app, which also has real-time shelter and evacuation information. For updates on Hurricane Matthew impacts and relief efforts, go to ReadyNC.org or follow N.C. Emergency Management on Twitter and Facebook. People or organizations that want to help ensure North Carolina recovers can visit NCdisasterrelief.org or text NCRecovers to 30306.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.

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