Finding Recovery Assistance Post Ida

Hurricane Ida left many people wondering how to get the government to help them repair their damaged homes quickly. On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a town hall meeting online so her constituents in Queens and the Bronx could tell her what they need. Over 1,800 residents of New York’s 14th congressional district attended the online meeting. Guest speakers from several government agencies were on hand to offer advice.  Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a brief appearance and then turned the meeting over to agency experts.

The public expressed concerns over the long wait to receive feedback after submitting their requests for recovery assistance. Bryon Boka, Individual Assistance Branch Director of FEMA, responded that the normal wait time is one week. Mr. Boka advised the public to create an online account on DisasterAssistance.gov where they can check the status of their application. He explained that the DisasterAssistance.gov flood complaint application can be completed in 10-15 minutes, but you need to have your social security number, driver’s license, homeowner information, dates of damage, type of damage and other supporting documentation to fill out the online form.

Carl Dombek, Public Affairs Specialist from the Small Business Administration, suggested people have visual proof. He said, “Having pictures showing the depth of water levels that damaged your property will make the processing of the application even faster.” The pictures can be used in place of an inspector visiting your home or building. If an inspector has to visit, the wait time for money is longer.

Raquel Batista, Commissioner of New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, explained that anyone can apply for the Ida flood damage recovery relief plan. Landlords, tenants and even nondocumented immigrants can apply on their own accord or for someone else.  If applying for a minor, you must identify your legal connections to the minor affected by hurricane Ida.

FEMA’s Bryon Boka said that the application will first be processed through FEMA, and some applications will be referred to the Small Business Association (SBA) for additional assistance. The SBA offers small businesses Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and physical damage loans for all home damage issues caused by the flood. Some applicants will be referred back to FEMA by the SBA for more grant assistance.