| How
to file for post-hurricane financial aid | | |
| Schedule
inspections of your home and car
The next step is to undergo inspections
-- in some cases, lots of them.
You'll probably deal with insurance adjusters for your home and
car. If your home was damaged by flood and you had flood insurance, you might
deal with a separate insurance adjuster focusing on that. The insurance
industry is handling this huge-scale disaster in reverse order. Adjusters usually
are sent to the hardest-hit area first, then move to the periphery. Katrina's
damage was so extensive, and it's so difficult to drive in and communicate from
the worst-hit communities, that adjusters are starting out by inspecting property
on the edges. Later they will go to the worst-affected communities, such as Pass
Christian, Miss., and New Orleans. FEMA will call, or send
a letter, to set up an appointment. The FEMA inspector is required to try at least
three times to contact you, preferably on different days and at different times
of the day. You or a representative (such as an attorney or spouse) must be present
when the FEMA inspector looks over your property. The FEMA
inspector will survey the damage and hand you an application for aid, if one wasn't
included in the packet you received in the mail. The application will say it's
for a Small Business Administration loan. Even if you don't own a business, and
you wouldn't be able to repay a loan, fill out the application. It is used to
determine whether you qualify for grants that you don't have to repay. If
you apply for aid from the Small Business Administration, an inspector called
a "loss verifier" will assess your property. If
power, gas, water or sewer lines were cut in the disaster, you'll have to deal
with utility inspectors before service is restored. Apply
for help from the Small Business Administration
When you apply for
a loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA), you are filing two applications
in one: for an SBA loan, if you can afford to repay, and for FEMA grants, if you
can't repay a loan. This section will discuss loans and the next section addresses
grants. The SBA will lend you money to pay for certain uninsured
losses if you can afford to repay the loan. These are loans for individuals and
families, not for businesses. You don't have to spend your savings or apply for
a loan at a bank as a condition of borrowing from the SBA. The
SBA offers personal property loans and real property loans. Interest rates vary,
depending on how much it costs the federal government to borrow money and whether
you are able to get credit elsewhere. | 
