This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

r !
I
u
7
____WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21,2005 » 11
FEMA says save receipts for expenses
A
THE ECHO
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) would like to remind Hurricane Katrina survivors to save all receipts for housing related and other miscellaneous purchases if applying for Individual Assistance programs.
Individuals, families and businesses in Mississippi whose property has been damaged or destroyed and whose losses are not covered by insurance may be eligible to receive cash grants of up to $26,200 per individual or household. When state and federal officials inspect a victim's property for damages, providing receipts will help make an accurate determination of losses and ability to evaluate their eligibility.
"Providing receipts is one of the key steps disaster victirm can take to help themselves qualify for available grant funds," stated Nick Russo, federal coordinating officer in charge of the Mississippi recovery effort. The FEMA Individuals	and
Households Program (IHP) is intended for one of the following uses only: housing repairs, temporary housing, or other needs assistance
including personal property. Some examples of assistance provided by the IHP program are: .
Housing Assistance
-	Home repair cash grant
-	Permanent housing construction (in rare circumstances)
-	Lodging expenses reimbursement (for a hotel or motel)
-	Rental assistance (cash payment for a temporary rental unit or a manufactured home)
Other needs assistance
-	Medical, dental, funeral costs
-	Transportation costs
-	Other disaster-relat-ed needs
Another important reminder for disaster victims is to take photographs of damaged property before it is repaired. After completing the work, applicants should then keep their receipts for three years.
For more information about how to complete the loan application, or for more information on SBA assistance, call the SBA Helpline at 800-659-2955, or visit www.sba.gov/disaster. For more information on FEMA assistance programs, or to register for FEMA assistance, visit www.fema.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech and hearing impaired.