NYS Independent Living Council, Inc.
| Housing Institute | Youth Leadership | Vote &Education | Emergency Preparedness | TRAVEL | Needs Assessment |
Enlarge text = e ; Shrink text= s; Original size = o
|
Hello: I am contacting you to introduce myself to those stakeholders in New York, who provide assistance and support to people with disabilities and other special needs. Being from Hawaii, I am very impressed with the numbers of diverse professional human service providers, supporters and advocates in NY. As part of the FEMA Management team assigned to NY, I’d appreciate the opportunity of being your point of contact to address any questions or concerns regarding disaster assistance, the Civil Rights of FEMA Applicants and/or FEMA’s application process. As a FEMA Equal Rights Officer, I’ve successfully worked with many community based supporters and advocacy groups. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I collaborated with the many excellent professionals in Texas and Mississippi, who are your counterparts. Together, we were able to proactively address and resolve issues as they arose, quickly addressing perceived barriers, while providing updated information and responses to questions. When needed, we held daily or weekly conference calls with field and management staff of multiple agencies. Our highly collaborative partnership was key in addressing and resolving barriers and issues, on behalf of those citizens who are most vulnerable in the recovery process. While some of you may already be familiar with FEMA, others may want information, clarification, and updates. Some general information is attached for your review. With a few days advance notice, FEMA can provide a brief presentation to you, your agency or consortium, if you’d like more information on our programs and disaster assistance. As you may know, the State of NY requested, and is now receiving, disaster related assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This federal disaster aid is available to help people and communities recover from the effects of severe storms and inland and coastal flooding during the period of April 14-18, 2007 in NY. As of today, the following six (6) counties have been designated as eligible, allowing residents to apply for FEMA programs and benefits: Albany, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and WestchesterResidents and business owners who sustained losses in any of the six (6) designated counties are encouraged to quickly apply for assistance. This is achieved in three ways:
Many people prefer to visit the DRC, as it is a convenient way to meet face-to-face with disaster experts, get answers to questions and obtain help in filling out the SBA loan package, which can be confusing. Low-interest loans from the SBA, which have no closing costs or other fees, are the primary source of financial aid to residents who need to repair or rebuild and to businesses with physical damage or economic losses. Homeowners and renters also may be eligible for housing grants. It is important for all Applicants to complete the SBA loan package. If they are determined to be ineligible for an SBA loan, their FEMA Application is electronically updated and reviewed for a possible grant under the Other Needs Assistance (ONA) program. However, if an applicant fails to turn in the SBA loan package, there is no review for ONA. Attached are: FEMA’s Civil Rights flyer, a Fact Sheet and Overview of the Individual Assistance Program, and a copy of the contact list for the Equal Rights Team-NY. An important website for updated information is: www.fema.gov I look forward to working with you on behalf of the citizens in NY. Please contact me if I may be of assistance. Thank you. Appreciatively… Robie GF Robie Lovinger Commitment to excellence in a discrimination-free world! |