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Federal Aid
Who is eligible for relief and what benefits does The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide?
Residents of New York City, survivors of the WTC disaster and their families, and families of the deceased are eligible for the following benefits from FEMA:
- grants for temporary housing and minimal home repair, transportation and personal property loss;
- U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest loans for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and non-profit organizations;
- crisis counseling;
- disaster unemployment assistance for those unemployed as a result of the disaster, including self-employed persons and others not normally eligible for unemployment (through the Department of Labor);
- disaster counseling;
- information and referrals; and
- legal advice (through the American Bar Association).
Most, but not all, federal assistance is in the form of low interest loans to cover expenses not covered by state or local programs, or private insurance. If you do not qualify for a loan, you may be able to apply for a cash grant.
How can I apply for FEMA assistance?
Call (800) 462-9029 or (800) 462-7585 (TTY) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., seven days a week or go to FEMA's website at www.fema.gov. New information and disaster updates are posted to the website daily.
What information do I need to apply?
You should have the following information available:
- a description of your property losses, the street address of your damaged property;
- your current mailing address and the telephone number where you can be reached in the event you have been forced to relocate;
- your Social Security number;
- your household's approximate gross income at the time of the WTC disaster; and
- information on the type of insurance coverage that you have.
FEMA suggests that you take pictures of any damaged property and save receipts in case there is any question about your damages later.
Processing normally takes two weeks, but due to the large number of requests, it could take longer, so you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Who is eligible for relief and what benefits does the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime provide?
Victims of the WTC disaster and their families are eligible for federal transportation assistance not covered by airlines, military or other sources, crisis counseling, and free information and referrals to other state agencies for assistance.
Who should I contact to apply for assistance through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime?
Call (800) 331-0075 or (800) 833-6885 (TTY) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information go to the website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc or the victims-only website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/terrorismvictimassistance. New information and disaster updates are posted to the website daily. For crisis counseling, you can also log onto www.responsecare.com. In addition, callers and visitors to the website can provide identification information about individual victims and contact information for future notification about benefits, services, and criminal justice proceedings.
What benefits does the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 provide?
In conjunction with the recently adopted Airline Assistance Program, Congress has created a new fund to provide compensation for those who were physically injured in the September 11th attacks and their families (Title IV of the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act H.R. 2926). You should be aware that if you accept compensation through the fund, you may be required to give up the right to bring a lawsuit for damages in connection with the WTC disaster.
Information about the Fund is available online at www.911lawhelp.org or by phone by calling (888) 780-8637 or (888) 780-8682 for Spanish.
