FEMA Urges Americans to Spend Their Grants Wisely

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Trees are downed on Kingsbridge Road and Bailey Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights, just outside the border of the Marble Hill section of the Bronx, on Thursday, Sept. 2, at 8.45 a.m. People passing the scene were heard saying, “Oh my God, Oh my God!” on seeing the cars and downed trees and expressed their hope that the occupants got out alive.
Photo by Miriam Quinoñes

As eligible, disaster survivors start to receive funds for rental assistance, home repairs, or other categories of assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is assuring Americans that federal disaster assistance funds are tax-free. FEMA officials said that the FEMA notification letter will inform residents of the appropriate use of disaster assistance funds and urges them to use the funds as stated in the award letter, and only for disaster-related expenses.

The agency has provided the following tips:

FEMA will send you a notification letter informing you of the types of assistance you are eligible to receive and the amounts of assistance FEMA is providing for each eligible need. These may include:

Home repairs (e.g., structure, water, septic and sewage systems).
Rental assistance for a different place to live temporarily.
Repair or replacement of a damaged primary vehicle.
Uninsured out-of-pocket medical expenses for an injury caused by the disaster.
Repair or replacement of occupational specialized tools.
Essential educational materials (e.g., computers, schoolbooks, supplies).
Moving and storage expenses related to the disaster and other disaster-related expenses.

According to FEMA officials, you may spend your FEMA grant in ways that help you make your home safe, sanitary, and fit to live in. Remember to document how you used disaster funds and keep all receipts for at least three years for verification of how you spent the money.

Disaster grants are not for regular living expenses, such as utilities, food, medical or dental bills, travel, entertainment, or any discretionary expenses not directly related to the disaster.

Federal law prohibits duplicating assistance from other sources.

You can apply for FEMA assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (711/VRS). Lines are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, and operators can connect you to a specialist who speaks your language. If you use a relay service such as video relay service, captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.

For referrals to agencies that support community-specific need, contact your nearest 211 Counts center at https://www.211nys.org/contact-us. In New York City, call 311. For outlying areas, call 211.

For official information on the recovery effort following the hurricane, please visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4615.

admin

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.