Texas Hurricane Rita Assistance

Extension Family and Consumer Science Specialists

The Texas A&M University System

Click to jump to a section below.

1. The American Red Cross
2. FEMA
3. The Texas Workforce Commission

1. American Red Cross

The American Red Cross has expanded its financial assistance and motel housing programs to cover the victims of Hurricane Rita, just as it has in place for those impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The information below will explain the types of assistance available, the eligibility requirements, and how to apply.

Types of Assistance Offered:

1. Food
2. Water
3. Shelter
4. Emotional Support
5. Financial - financial assistance ranges from $360 for an individual to $1,565 for a family of five or more. This type of assistance can take the form of client assistance cards, vouchers, checks and cash.
6. Motel Program - Victims of Rita who were able to find housing in motels following the storm may be eligible to have those rooms paid for by the Red Cross and FEMA. Evacuees must identify themselves as evacuees at the time of check in and show identification confirming their former residence to be eligible. Motels in and around the affected areas have been given information on how to verify proof of residence and how to apply for payment. Clients will receive up to thirty days of paid housing at a time, which will be extended as needed.

Eligibility Requirements:

To qualify for assistance clients must:

1. Have a verifiable, pre-disaster address that is within a declared disaster area. A driver's license is preferred but a copy of a utility bill, credit card bill, or insurance statement can also be used for verification purposes.
2. Have sustained damage to their home (within the declared disaster area) as a result of Hurricane Rita in order to receive financial assistance. The Red Cross has a list of damaged areas.

How to Apply:

1. Call the toll-free financial hotline at 1-800-975-7585
2. Visit an American Red Cross service center, where available
3. Visit a local Red Cross chapter in locations outside of the affected areas

NOTE - Financial assistance is only available to individuals who received damage to their home as a direct result of the hurricane. Red Cross financial assistance is not available to reimburse individuals for the cost of evacuation, or to cover the cost of food lost due to power outage.

Red Cross Chapters in East Texas

American Red Cross
Orange County Chapter
908 W Pine Ave
Orange, TX 77630-5636

(409) 883-2322

Web site: http://orangecountytx.redcross.org

American Red Cross
East Texas Piney Woods Chapter
1604 Hwy 31
Longview, TX 75607

Phone (903) 753-2091

Web site: http://www.redcrosslongview.org/

American Red Cross
Beaumont Chapter
706 Magnolia
Beaumont, TX 77701

(409) 832-1644

Web site: This location does not currently have a Web site.

For more information about the American Red Cross visit: www.redcross.org

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2. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Types of Assistance

Housing Needs Assistance

Temporary Housing (a place to live for a limited period of time) :
Money is available to rent a different place to live, or a government provided housing unit when rental properties are not available.

Repair:
Money is available to homeowners to repair damage from the disaster to their primary residence that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to make the damaged home safe, sanitary, and functional.

Replacement:
Money is available to homeowners to replace their home destroyed in the disaster that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to help the homeowner with the cost of replacing their destroyed home.

Permanent Housing Construction:
Direct assistance or money for the construction of a home. This type of help occurs only in insular areas or remote locations specified by FEMA, where no other type of housing assistance is possible.

For more information on the qualifications for "housing needs" assistance visit the FEMA Web site at http://www.fema.gov/about/process/qualify_housing.shtm

Other Than Housing Needs Assistance

Money is available for necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster. This includes:

1. Medical expenses
2. Dental expenses
3. Funeral expenses
4. Personal property expenses
5. Transportation expense
6. Moving and storage expenses
7. Other expenses that are authorized by law.

For more information on the qualifications for "other than housing needs " assistance visit the FEMA Web site at:

http://www.fema.gov/about/process/qualify_other_housing.shtm

Who Is Eligible?

FEMA assistance is available to Hurricane Rita victims who resided in these counties: Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange and Tyler.

Eligibility Requirements

To receive money or help for Housing Needs that are the result of Hurricane Rita, all of the following must be true:

1. You have losses in an area that has been declared a disaster area by the President. In the case of Hurricane Rita the declared counties are Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange and Tyler.
2. You have filed for insurance benefits and the damage to your property is not covered by your insurance. You may be eligible for help from Individuals and Housing Program (IHP) to repair damage to your property.
3. You or someone who lives with you is a citizen of the United States, a non-citizen national, or a qualified alien.
4. Your home is in an area that has been declared a disaster area by the President.
5. The home in the disaster area is where you usually live and where you were living at the time of the disaster. The declared counties in Texas are: Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange and Tyler.
6. You are not able to live in your home now, you cannot get to your home due to the disaster, or your home requires repairs because of damage from the disaster.

To receive money for Other than Housing Needs that are the result of a disaster, all of the following must be true:

1. You have losses in an area that has been declared a disaster area by the President.
2. You have filed for insurance benefits and the damage to your property is not covered by your insurance. You may be eligible for help from IHP to repair damage to your property.
3. You or someone who lives with you is a citizen of the United States, a non-citizen national, or a qualified alien.
4. You have necessary expenses or serious needs because of the disaster.
5. You have accepted assistance from all other sources for which you are eligible, such as insurance proceeds or SBA loans.

What information do I need to apply?

Whether applying online OR over the phone, you should have a pen and paper and the following information ready:

1. Your Social Security number
2. Current and pre-disaster address
3. A telephone number where you can be contacted
4. Insurance information
5. Total household annual income
6. A routing and account number from your bank (only necessary if you want to have disaster assistance funds transferred directly into your bank account)
7. A description of your losses that were caused by the disaster

After you've completed your application for assistance, you will receive a FEMA application number. Write down this number and keep it for future reference.

How to Apply

Before beginning the application process make sure to have the information that is listed above available along with a pen and paper.

Register for assistance on line at www.fema.gov

-or-

Register for assistance by phone: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 for people with speech for hearing disabilities.

Disaster Recovery Centers

What is a Disaster Recovery Center and what services do they provide?

A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is a readily accessible facility or mobile office where applicants may go for information about FEMA or other disaster assistance programs, or for questions related to your case.

NOTE: You cannot register for assistance at a DRC, you must register by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) (hearing/speech impaired ONLY-Call TTY: 1-800-462-7585) or apply on line at www.fema.gov.

Some of the services that a DRC may provide:

1. Guidance regarding disaster recovery.
2. Clarification of any written correspondence received.
3. Housing Assistance and Rental Resource information.
4. Answers to questions, resolution to problems and referrals to agencies that may provide further assistance.
5. Status of applications being processed by FEMA.
6. SBA program information if there is a SBA Representative at the Disaster Recovery Center site.

FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers in South / East Texas

Chambers County

404 Washington St.
Anahuac, TX
Dates: Seven days a week until further notice
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

Galveston County

Island Community Center
4700 Broadway
Galveston, TX 78721
Dates: Seven day a week until further notice
Hours: 8 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily

Greater Houston Area

6059 South Loop East
Houston, TX
Opening: Wed. September 28, 2005
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Hardin County

Courthouse, 300 Monroe St
Kountze, TX
Dates: Seven days a week until further notice
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Jefferson County

1 st Baptist Church Activity Center
900 Calder Street
Beaumont, TX 77701
Dates: Seven days a week until further notice
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily

Tyler County

2301 South Broadway Ave
Tyler, TX 75701
Dates: Seven days a week until further notice
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily

1495 South Magnolia St
Woodville, TX
Dates: Seven days a week until further notice
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Spurger High School Parking Lot
FM 1013 & Rt 92
Spurger, TX
Dates: Seven days a week until further notice
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

For a complete list of FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers in Texas visit the FEMA Web site at www.fema.gov/rrr/opendrcs.shtm.

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3. Texas Workforce Commission

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, people who worked in the following counties may be eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) and/or Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA): Angelina, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, and Walker.

Workers affected by Hurricane Rita who worked in the counties listed above have until November 30, 2005 to apply for DUA under Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA-10606-DR.

To be eligible for help under Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA-1606-DR, you must:

Have worked or been scheduled to work in the disaster area, but because of the disaster no longer have job, a place to work in the area, or you could not get to your place of work because of disaster damage;

Have been prevented from working by an injury or illness as a direct result of the disaster; or

Have become the head of the household and need employment because the head of the household died as a result of the disaster.

1. Social Security number & name and address of last employer.

2. Documentation (record of employment) stating that you were employed at the

time of disaster.

-or-

3. Verification of the weeks the applicant was scheduled to work.

-or-

4. Business owners who are self-employed must provide income tax forms

(Schedules SE and Schedule C or Schedule F) or other proof of your

Self-employment to receive DUA.

How to Apply

1. You must file for regular unemployment insurance benefits before filing for disaster unemployment benefits. Please file online at http://twc.state.tx.us/ui/uiclaim.html .

Austin: (512) 340-4300

Dallas: (214) 252-1200

El Paso: (915) 832-6400

Fort Worth: (817) 420-1600

Houston: (281) 983-1100

McAllen: (956) 984-4700

San Antonio: (210) 258-6600

Others call toll free: (800) 939-6631

For more information on Disaster Unemployment Assistance, please visit the Texas Workforce Commission's Web site at http://www.texasworkforce.org/

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