Mendocino Complex Disaster Recovery Center announces new hours
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Mendocino Complex Disaster Recovery Center in Upper Lake is continuing to offer services to the community, and will have new hours beginning next week.
The center is located at the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribal Community Center, 9460 Main St. in Upper Lake.
Starting on Monday, Aug. 27, the center will be open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Sundays.
The disaster recovery center offers in-person support to individuals and business owners.
Recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management AGency, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and state and local agencies are available to provide assistance.
Individual Assistance is provided by FEMA directly to eligible individuals and families that have sustained losses due to the severe wildfires and winds beginning on July 23 in Lake and Shasta counties.
FEMA spokesman Thomas Kempton said activity has been brisk at the disaster recovery centers in both Lake and Shasta counties.
As of the close of business on Wednesday, for both Lake and Shasta Counties there were 3,117 registrations with 170 registrations on Tuesday alone, Kempton said.
FEMA has approved $3,705,550 for Individual and Households with the majority of those funds for housing assistance. Of that total amount $3,655,813 has already been disbursed to help residents recover from this disaster, according to Kempton.
Homeowners and renters in those two designated counties who sustained damage to their primary homes, vehicles and personal property may apply for disaster assistance.
Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing to include rental and lodging expense, emergency home repairs, uninsured and underinsured personal property losses, and compensation for medical or dental expenses caused by this disaster.
Disaster assistance from FEMA is a grant and does not have to be repaid. These FEMA grants are not taxable income and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid, medical waiver programs, welfare assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, food stamps, Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance.
However funding from FEMA is limited.
FEMA is assisted in disaster recovery by the Small Business Administration. Don’t let the name confuse you because the SBA can offer loans to not only businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private nonprofit organizations, but also homeowners and renters.
Low-interest disaster loans can help fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged real estate and personal property. Economic Injury disaster loans are available to business and private nonprofits to assist with working capital needs as a direct result of the disaster.
Survivors needing help may visit any disaster recovery center or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (Voice, 711 or VS) or 800-462-7585 (TTY). Helpline numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.