At the request of the state, FEMA has approved an increase in the rental assistance rate for eligible residents who were affected by the December tornadoes in Caldwell, Graves, Hopkins, Marshall and Warren counties.
With the approval, applicants approved for FEMA temporary housing assistance will be able to secure units at 25% above fair market rents established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
According to a release from FEMA, the increase was put into effect because rental properties in these counties are “extremely limited, and hundreds of survivors in the disaster area are struggling to find temporary housing close to homes damaged or destroyed by the December disaster.”
Officials added that a higher rental assistance rate is designed to expand their options.
For example, the HUD fair market rent for a two-bedroom unit in Warren County is $845, but with the 25% increase in rental assistance, the maximum for FEMA rental assistance goes to $1,056.
If eligible residents in that county rent a two-bedroom below $1,056, renters may include their utility costs up to the maximum assistance allowed.
FEMA applicants seeking or already approved for rental assistance may call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 for more information on the increased rates. Or they may visit a Disaster Recovery Center. For a current list of locations, visit fema.gov/drc.
Survivors who have not yet applied for federal disaster assistance may do so until the deadline, Friday, February 11.
Source: WBKO
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