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DISASTER PREPAREDNESS FACT SHEETS
Citizenship and Immigration Status Requirements for FEMA Assistance:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is committed to helping all eligible disaster survivors recover from Typhoon Mawar, including U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals and qualified aliens.
A non-citizen national is a person born in an outlying possession of the U.S., on or after the date the U.S. acquired the possession, or a person whose parents are U.S. non-citizen nationals. All U.S. citizens are U.S. nationals; however, not every U.S. national is a U.S. citizen.
Qualified Aliens, which includes:
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A legal permanent resident (“green card” holder);
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An asylee, refugee or an alien whose deportation is being withheld;
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An alien paroled into the U.S. for at least one year;
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An alien granted conditional entry (per law in effect prior to April 1, 1980);
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A Cuban or Haitian entrant;
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Certain victims of a severe form of human trafficking, including persons with a “T” or “U” visa; and
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An alien or child of an alien who has been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty in the U.S.
Qualified Minor Children
If the applicant is a minor child, the co-applicant must be the child's parent or legal guardian. The minor child must have been under age 18 at the time Typhoon Mawar occurred.
Resources
If you do not meet the status of either U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien, your household may still apply for and be considered for IHP assistance if:
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Another adult member of your household meets the eligibility criteria and certifies their citizenship status during the registration process or signs the Declaration and Release form, or
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The parent or guardian of a minor child who is a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or a qualified alien applies for assistance on behalf of the child, if they live in the same household. The parent or legal guardian must register as the co-applicant, and the minor child must be under age 18 at the time the disaster occurred.
If you’re unsure of your immigration status, talk to an immigration expert to learn if your status meets the requirements for FEMA disaster assistance. Visit nvoad.org to learn about other voluntary organizations.
How to Appeal FEMA’s Decision:
If you receive a letter from FEMA saying you are ineligible for assistance, you can appeal the decision and provide more information. An appeal is a written request to FEMA to review your file again, and an opportunity to provide new or additional information not previously submitted.
What Can You Appeal
You may appeal any decision by FEMA regarding your application for Individual Assistance program, such as your initial eligibility decision, the amount or type of assistance provided to you, the denial of a late application request, requests to return money.
How to Appeal
An appeal should be filed in the form of a signed letter within 60 days of the date on the determination letter. In the appeal, explain why you disagree with the decision. Be sure to include the following:
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Applicant’s full name, current address and damaged dwelling address;
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Applicant’s 9-digit FEMA application number, found at the top of the determination letter (on every page);
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FEMA disaster declaration number, for example DR-4715-GU (on every page) ; and
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Applicant’s signature and the date
If you choose to have a third party submit an appeal on your behalf, the appeal letter must be signed by the third party. Additionally, please include a statement signed by you authorizing the third party to appeal on your behalf.
FEMA does not accept multiple appeals for the same reason, but may request additional information and will review new information.
Mail your appeal letter to:
FEMA Individuals & Households Program
National Processing Service Center
P. O. Box 10055
Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
You can also upload your appeal letters and supporting documentation to your account on disasterassistance.gov, or fax to 800-827-8112.
Return Your SBA Loan Application:
Businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters in Guam who had damages or losses from Typhoon Mawar may be referred for a disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
FEMA may refer survivors to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) with information on how to apply for a disaster loan. Businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters may be eligible. It’s important to submit the loan application as soon as possible. There is no cost to apply for an SBA disaster loan.
If your application is approved, you are not obligated to accept an SBA loan, but failure to return the application may disqualify you from other possible financial assistance from FEMA and the U.S. Territory of Guam.
SBA disaster loans are the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds for survivors. SBA offers long-term, low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.
SBA disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other resources. Survivors should not wait for an insurance settlement before submitting an SBA loan application. They may discover they were underinsured for the deductible, labor and materials required to repair or replace their home.
Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.
For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.
Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.
Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at www.disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
If you haven’t applied for federal disaster assistance yet, you may do so at disasterassistance.gov, by using the FEMA mobile app, by calling 800-621-3362 (The Helpline is available 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week at no cost for Guam residents) or by stopping by a Disaster Recovery Center located at Guam Community College, Dededo Sports Complex, C.L. Taitano Elementary School and Inarahan Community Center (open seven days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.).
FEMA Grants Won’t Affect Your Social Security or Other Benefits:
Applying for disaster assistance or receiving a FEMA grant will not affect any other federal benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or other federal programs.
Another bit of good news is that FEMA grants are not taxable. FEMA disaster assistance is not considered income or a resource when determining eligibility for welfare, income assistance, or income-tested benefit programs that the federal government funds, such as Social Security benefits or disability income.
Visit the following links for the latest information:
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Governor’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/govlouguam
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GHS/OCD Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/
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GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/
For more information, contact the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/09/10.
