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Renters In U.S. Virgin Islands Urged To Apply For FEMA Assistance

Virgin Islands renters who experienced losses due to hurricanes Irma or Maria could be eligible for disaster-recovery assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), FEMA announced Monday. GRANTS: Renters may be eligible for grants from FEMA to help with disaster-related expenses such as: Renting a home when the renter’s previous one is uninhabitable due to the disaster. Disaster-related medical and dental expenses. Replacement or repair of necessary personal property lost or damaged in the disaster. Repair or replacement of vehicles damaged by the disaster. Disaster-related funeral and burial expenses. These are not loans and don’t have to be repaid. They are not taxable income and won’t affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid, welfare assistance, SNAP benefits and several other programs. LOANS: Renters may qualify for a low-interest SBA loan of up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property. T...