Money available for tornado victims

Published: Friday, September 7, 2012 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, September 6, 2012 at 11:40 p.m.

MONTGOMERY | West Alabama homeowners who have not received any aid after the April 2011 tornadoes may be eligible for up to $25,000 in financial assistance to replace their homes.

Jim Byard, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, said on Thursday that eligible owners of single-family homes in 30 tornado-stricken counties can receive up to $25,000 to help them recover from the April 2011 tornadoes.

The money can be used to repair or even help replace a home.

He said Alabama has up to $8 million for homeowners in 30 counties.

?Although it has been nearly a year and a half since these storms struck, many Alabamians are still hurting and need help,? Byard said at a news conference.

Community Services Programs of West Alabama Inc. will be the contact organization for Greene, Pickens, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa counties.

Sontonia Stephens, Community Services Programs? support services director, said there may be more than 330 homeowners eligible for aid in her organization?s four-county area.

She said many people didn?t apply for aid after the April 2011 tornadoes because they simply didn?t know how.

?There are 17,000 people in Tuscaloosa County who registered with FEMA (after the April tornadoes),? she said. ?But we can?t find half of them.?

Of the people that CSP can find, many are living with family or friends or have some sort of housing provided with assistance from FEMA. But, the FEMA payments will end next months, Stephens said. She and others at Community Service Programs are worried what the impact might be when that money stops.

?We do not have a waiting list in Tuscaloosa County right now for assistance, which concerns us,? Stephens told the Tuscaloosa County Commission on Wednesday.

Stephens had gone before the County Commission to ask for assistance in publicizing the program. Very few of the people who have already applied for assistance are from the unincorporated areas of Tuscaloosa County, Stephens said, even though Holt was hard hit in the April 27, 2011, tornado.

Priority will be given to low-income residents, the elderly, those with disabilities, households with children and displaced people, Byard said.

Applicants will not get money, but their repair or home replacement needs will be disbursed by ADECA.

Applicants will need to:

- Prove they owned a residence, which includes mobile home.

- Prove that their residence was damaged by the April 2011 tornadoes.

- Provide information about their income.

- Prove that they have not received any other type of funding or reimbursement to fix or replace their structure.

Byard said 253 people died and 2,200 were injured by the April 27, 2011 tornadoes. He said 6,237 houses and 1,275 mobile homes were destroyed.

Staff writer Lydia Seabol Avant contributed to this story.

Source: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20120907/news/120909842

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