LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – If you applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and received a letter or text message saying you were not eligible for disaster aid, you should know that the first communication may not be the last word.
While applicants may be ineligible for FEMA disaster grants, they may receive assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
And there may be an easy-to-resolve reason why some wildfire survivors received a notice stating that they are ineligible for assistance.
If you were informed that your application is “ineligible” or “incomplete,” more information may be needed, officials said.
A common reason for initially being ineligible for disaster assistance is that an applicant needs to provide FEMA with a copy of an insurance determination letter before a grant application can be processed.
Other reasons for a determination of ineligibility include:
• The applicant did not sign the required documents.
• The applicant did not prove occupancy or ownership.
• Applicant’s identity may not have been verified.
• The damage is to a secondary home or a rental property, not a primary residence.
• Someone else in the household may have applied and received assistance.
• Disaster related losses could not be verified.
Every applicant for federal assistance has the right to file an appeal. Appeals may be mailed, faxed or personally delivered to a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) and must be received within 60 days of the date on the determination letter.
Applicants or someone they designate to act on their behalf must explain in writing why they believe the initial decision was wrong and provide any new or additional information and documents that support the appeal.
Applicants who have questions about filing an appeal can call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362; TTY 800-462-7585; 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362.
Appeals can be mailed to FEMA – Individuals & Households Program, National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055.
Appeals can be faxed to 800-827-8112, Attention: FEMA – Individuals & Households Program.
Applicants may also visit a DRC, where specialists from FEMA and the SBA can help with appeals, answer questions, review applications and accept required documents.
The following DRCs are open in Lake County:
• Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St. Hours of operation are Monday through 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
• Former Apria Health Care building, 14848 Olympic Drive, Clearlake. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to to 4 p.m.
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.
The SBA 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 non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters 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 Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or visiting SBA’s Web site at www.SBA.gov . Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.
Valley fire: FEMA eligibility letter may not be last word on disaster assistance
- Lake County News reports
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