replacement value, the homeowner should request a letter from the local ZA describing the level of damage based on the FEMA substantial damage estimator and indicating that the property is uninhabitable. This report can be sent to the Department of Public Safety and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development along with a request for a DPS inspection of the trailer. If DPS finds that the mobile home is condemnable, through ACCD, the homeowner will be able to obtain a condemnation letter from the Governor’s Office. That letter will, in most cases, result in issuance of the remaining balance of a maximum FEMA grant ($30,200 at the time of writing).
Regardless of the basis of the appeal, the applicant should provide as much
documentation as possible. The disaster number, the application number, the applicant’s name, date of birth, pre- and post-disaster addresses, and place of birth should be included on all pages of the appeal.
Appeal Response and Subsequent Appeals FEMA has 90 days to issue a written decision to an appeal but will usually
respond within 30 days or less. Minimal explanation of the appeal decision is provided, and formal requests for an explanation will be ignored. In general, FEMA will provide nothing more than a code in response to an appeal (e.g., IN INS, meaning ineligible due to insurance coverage). However, the applicant or her representative may contact the Service Center to obtain more information about the basis for the appeal decision.
If the applicant is unhappy with the results of the appeal, she should immediately
appeal again. It may take 3 or more appeals before the applicant obtains a grant adequate to meet her basic needs. By contacting the Service Center to determine the basis for the denial of the appeal and obtaining her full case file, you will have a better sense of the type of documentation you will need to support a second or third appeal. Never give up.
Rental Assistance Recertification FEMA usually grants between one and three months of rental assistance at a time.
Pursuant to 44 CFR 206.114(a), “FEMA expects all recipients of assistance under this subpart to obtain and occupy permanent housing at the earliest possible time.” For that reason, the applicant for continued assistance must provide documentation showing that they are making efforts to obtain permanent housing at each recertification. Clients should be encouraged to keep a log of their apartment search, including the address and telephone number called, whether or not they viewed the apartment, and the reason why they did not lease up on that unit. Applicants should also regularly reach out to the Service Center or their local Disaster Resource Center to seek advice on their apartment search. The key is to show a good faith effort to obtain permanent housing.
Pre-disaster tenants’ and homeowners’ recertification applications seem to be
reviewed under a somewhat different standard. As noted in 44 CFR 206.114(b)(3), “FEMA generally expects that pre-disaster renters will use their initial rental assistance to obtain permanent housing.” The pre-disaster renter will therefore have to show that
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