State Offers Last Chance to Apply for Storm, Flood Assistance

Tuesday is the deadline to apply to state officials for individual assistance after September’s storms and flooding in Southcentral and Interior Alaska -- but Alaskans have one last chance to request aid.

According to Jeremy Zidek with the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, staff at the assistance hotline went off-duty at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Anyone who leaves a message requesting assistance, however, before 11:59 p.m. Tuesday on the hotline -- at 1-855-445-7131 -- will be called back Wednesday morning. Applications from eligible callers will be taken at that time.

Callers should have their personal identification, insurance information and home-ownership documentation on hand, in addition to a description of damages and losses.

Zidek says the state has received a total of 403 individual-assistance applications, including 36 for temporary housing.

A full description of available individual assistance is provided below:

INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY GRANT (IFG) PROGRAM

The current maximum grant to an individual or family is $15,700 per disaster when other resources are not adequate, including insurance and Small Business Administration (SBA) or other loans. Assistance can include:

• Housing (primary residences only). Money to repair, replace, or rebuild; provide access; clean or make sanitary; remove debris relating to life- health- and safety-issues; protect against immediate threat.
• Personal property. Money to replace essential clothing; household items, furnishings or appliances; tools and employer-required specialized clothing; subsistence equipment; repair, cleaning or sanitizing of personal property; or moving and storage to prevent or reduce further damage.
• Transportation. Money to repair or replace an individual’s or family’s primary vehicle.
• Medical and Dental Expenses. Money to pay for disaster-related medical and dental care or equipment.
• Funeral Expenses. Money for funeral and burial/cremation expenses related to a disaster-related death.

TEMPORARY HOUSING PROGRAM

The Temporary Housing Program provides timely assistance to individuals or families without alternate housing whose primary residence is not habitable as a result of the disaster. Assistance can include:

• Transient accommodations. Immediate short-term housing; may include shelters, families, and friends.
• Rent and eligible utilities. Initial rental assistance is 30 days for renters and 3 months for home owners. Additional assistance may continue as part of a permanent housing plan.
• Housing in a temporary housing unit when rentals and repairs are not practical.
• Repair of the damaged primary residence in situations where restoring the essential living areas is less than providing other forms of temporary housing assistance.

Contact Ashleigh Ebert and Chris Klint