Katrina aid for farmers available

Farmers whose homes and property were damaged during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita may be eligible for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through its Federal Assistance to Individuals and Households Program (IHP). The deadline for disaster-assistance applications from FEMA has been extended to January 11, 2006. IHP provides financial assistance for housing repairs, temporary housing, and disaster-related personal expenses.

“Contrary to some rumors, farmers can be eligible for FEMA assistance if they sustained damage to their homes and/or personal property,” notes Jessica Shoemaker, a staff attorney with the St. Paul, Minnesota-based Farmers’ Legal Action Group.

Following are four categories applications for emergency assistance from FEMA may fall under:

Temporary Housing — For farmers whose homes were destroyed, made uninhabitable, or are inaccessible due to the disaster, temporary housing may be available through rental units, trailers, or mobile homes.

Home Replacement — For farmers who need to replace their home, up to $10,500 in direct grants may be available.

Home Repair — For farmers who need to make disaster-related home repairs or replace necessary items destroyed by a disaster, up to $5,200 in assistance may be available to restore the house to a safe, sanitary, and functional condition.

Personal Expenses — Assistance is also available to cover certain medical, dental, personal property, funeral, moving, storage, transportation and other costs that are directly related to the disaster.

Individuals or households can receive the maximum total amount of IHP assistance in the sum of $26,200 for any given disaster which occurred before October 1, 2005. To apply for emergency assistance through FEMA, residents of the disaster area should call 800-261-FEMA (3362) or register at www.fema.gov.

Farm Aid, with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Farmers Legal Action Group and the Rural Advancement Foundation International, is working to connect farm families with the state and federal resources available for rebuilding in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. For more information about available funding and disaster assistance programs, or to learn more about Farm Aid’s Family Farm Disaster Fund, visit www.farmaid.org.

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