Post Hurricane Resources
Financial Resources
How to apply for FEMA help
Florida homeowners and renters in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Seminole counties counties (the list might be expanded) affected by Hurricane Ian may apply for FEMA disaster assistance:
- DisasterAssistance.gov
- Call (800) 621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time
- Use FEMA’s mobile app
When applying, have the following information ready:
- Current phone number
- Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you’re now staying
- Social Security number
- A general list of damage and losses
- Banking information if you want direct deposit
- If insured, the policy number or agent and/or company name
Other important details when applying for FEMA assistance
- Take photos to document damage and begin cleanup and repairs to prevent further damage.
- Keep receipts from all purchases related to the cleanup and repair. Survivors may be eligible to If you have homeowners, renters or flood insurance, file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.
- Assistance may include financial help with temporary lodging and home repairs, as well as other disaster-related expenses.
- FEMA posted a video about the application process on YouTube.
- For more information on Florida’s recovery and to apply for FEMA aid, visit the Hurricane Ian page on FEMA’s website.
Mortgages must still be paid after a hurricane, but Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA have programs to help after a disaster – providing homeowners request it.
MCLEAN, Va. – Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Federal Housing Administration loans (FHA) back the majority of U.S. mortgages – and each has some kind of program to help homeowners struggling to pay their monthly mortgage payment after a disaster.
In all cases, however, a homeowner must initiate the process.
Homeowners who don’t know the ownership of their mortgage should start by contacting their servicer – the company they pay each month. Fannie and Freddie also have online lookups:
Programs vary but are similar. Freddie Mac’s short-term forbearance program, for example, provides homeowners mortgage relief for up to 12 months without incurring late fees or penalties.
“Our immediate mortgage relief options are available to support affected homeowners in the path of Hurricane Ian – the same options we made available last week to those impacted by Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico,” says Bill Maguire, Freddie Mac’s vice president of single-family servicing portfolio management
Disaster relief options are offered to homeowners in declared major disaster areas. However, even homeowners outside those areas may have options if their home incurred a disaster-related loss that impacts their ability to make a mortgage payment.
Foreclosure and other legal proceedings are also suspended while homeowners are on a forbearance plan.
Disaster-relief mortgage deferral information
Possible disaster-relief options
- Reinstatement. The option for a lump sum payment is available, but never required, if the homeowner’s loan is owned by Freddie Mac. If possible, however, it is the fastest way to get back on track.
- Repayment plan. Homeowners pay more each month on top of their existing mortgage payment to make up the missed payments.
- Payment deferral. This option is available if homeowners can resume making their regular monthly payment. With payment deferral, homeowners become immediately current on their mortgage and missed payments are added to the end of the mortgage term without interest or penalties.
- Loan modification. If a homeowner is facing a long-term financial hardship but can make a reduced mortgage payment, a modification may be best.
Florida Realtors Disaster Relief Fund:
How to apply for help
There are two form options: one for individual assistance and one for a broker to complete in the event of office damage.
Small-business assistance loans
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans are now available to businesses and residents in Florida following the Hurricane Ian disaster declaration. Applicants may apply at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov under declaration #17644. For help, call 800-659-2955 or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.
Eligible counties include Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, Sarasota, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, Volusia, Highlands, Lake, as well as the contiguous counties of Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pasco, Brevard, Lake, Volusia, Indian River, Okeechobee and Sumter.
The Florida SBDC Network can also help your business recover from a disaster. In addition, the SBDC and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity partner on the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, an interest-free, short-term loan program to help businesses recover quickly after a disaster.
Insurance information
Insurance company contact info: Click here for phone numbers, websites and email addresses for property insurance companies serving Florida. Unless they need emergency repairs, policyholders are urged to first contact their insurers with damage claims before signing over their benefits rights to repair contractors. Most of the companies listed enable policyholders to initiate claims at their websites.
Extensions, grace periods, nonrenewal, etc.: The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation issued Emergency Order 300997-22-EO in response to Hurricane Ian regarding the extension of grace periods, limitations on cancellations and nonrenewals, deemers and limitations on “use and file” filings. This Emergency Order is issued to protect the public health, safety and welfare of all Florida policyholders.
Citizens Property response center opens: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation – the Florida-owned “insurer of last resort – has opened Catastrophe Response Centers in the same Port Charlotte and Fort Myers locations to process claims and assist customers recovering from Hurricane Ian. Click here to learn more.
Unemployment benefits
Disasater unemployment assistance (DUA) is available to Florida businesses and residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Ian. Individuals affected in the designated-disaster areas must file DUA applications by December 30, 2022. Applications filed after the deadline will be considered untimely, and DUA benefits may be denied unless the individual provides good cause. Click here to learn more and apply.
Gov. Ron DeSantis activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, which offers “bridge loans” to help companies deal with temporary operational gaps after events like Hurricane Ian.
The maximum loan per business is $50,000 at zero interest, and owners have one year to pay the money back. They’re personal loans using State of Florida funds. They are not grants and must be repaid by the approved applicant.
The state is making $50 million available, and at least $10 million of that must go to small agricultural producers impacted by Hurricane Ian in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, and Volusia counties
Applications from small businesses in the most impacted counties – Charlotte, Collier, Lee and Sarasota – will be prioritized as they’re received.
Eligibility requirements
The business must:
- Be located in Florida
- Be established prior to Sept. 24, 2022
- Be located in an eligible county
- Be economically injured or physically damaged by Hurricane Ian
- Employ two to 100 employees
- Borrowers must have a credit score of 600 or above
- Have all outstanding previous Emergency Bridge Loans paid off
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) oversees the bridge-loan program. Interested applicants can apply now through December 2, 2022, or until all available funds are expended.
Visit FloridaJobs.org/EBL to learn more about the program, view lending guidelines and required documentation, and to complete an application before the Dec. 2, 2022, deadline.
Business owners who need further information may also call (833) 832-4494 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time, or email EmergencyBridgeLoan@deo.myflorida.com.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: The Section 203(h) program allows the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to insure mortgages made by qualified lenders to victims of a major disaster who have lost their homes and are in the process of rebuilding or buying another home. It helps victims in presidentially designated disaster areas recover by making it easier for them to get mortgages and become homeowners or re-establish themselves as homeowners.
Housing Help
Extension and Waivers
Extensions, grace periods, nonrenewal, etc.: The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation issued Emergency Order 300997-22-EO in response to Hurricane Ian regarding the extension of grace periods, limitations on cancellations and nonrenewals, deemers and limitations on “use and file” filings. This Emergency Order is issued to protect the public health, safety and welfare of all Florida policyholders.
Citizens Property response center opens: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation – the Florida-owned “insurer of last resort – has opened Catastrophe Response Centers in the same Port Charlotte and Fort Myers locations to process claims and assist customers recovering from Hurricane Ian. Click here to learn more.
HUD announces waivers: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development calls its list of waivers to speed Hurricane Ian recovery, “One of the largest collections of regulatory and administrative waivers issued by HUD at one time.” HUD announced a package of 29 regulatory and administrative waivers on programs including Community Development Block Grants, HOME Investment Partnerships and others. Click here to learn more.
FloridaDisaster.biz: Find the most recent information from the state on businesses offering services and assistance, including accommodation and lodging partners, major retailers offering assistance, state partnerships, including updates from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing),
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: The Section 203(h) program allows the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to insure mortgages made by qualified lenders to victims of a major disaster who have lost their homes and are in the process of rebuilding or buying another home. It helps victims in presidentially designated disaster areas recover by making it easier for them to get mortgages and become homeowners or re-establish themselves as homeowners.
Florida Disaster Contractors Network: Florida’s Disaster Contractors Network (DCN) has been activated to provide support to homeowners in need of post-Hurricane Ian home repairs. This is a free service founded in part by the state agency that regulates Florida’s construction industry, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Its mission is simple – connect homeowners needing emergency repairs with licensed contractors and construction suppliers.
State Emergency Response Team: Information includes road and bridge updates, shelter openings and statuses, power outages and boil-water notices.
Private businesses offering assistance: See what companies are working to ensure Floridians have the supplies they need to begin Hurricane Ian recovery efforts and support the state’s economic resiliency post-storm.