Dresden Residents Should Apply for FEMA Rental Assistance

NASHVILLE (February 18) – If you are receiving FEMA rental assistance following last December’s tornadoes and still can’t return to your storm-damaged primary residence in middle or west Tennessee, you may be eligible for additional support. You just need to demonstrate your storm-related financial need and show FEMA you are developing a long-term or permanent housing plan.

Many tornado survivors in Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Gibson, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Stewart, Sumner, Weakley, and Wilson counties received an initial FEMA rental assistance grant after a Major Disaster Declaration was signed earlier this year. FEMA typically mails an “Application for Continued Temporary Housing Assistance” to the applicant’s address on file.

If you did not receive the application, you can call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to request one. You may also download the form online at FEMA Form FF-104-FY-21-115.pdf

Here’s what you need to send FEMA:

A signed and completed Application for Continued Temporary Housing Assistance

A signed and dated copy of your current lease

Receipts showing your initial FEMA rental assistance grant was used for housing

Your current and pre-disaster household income

Any household financial obligations you may have

If you have any questions, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Specialists are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language.

You can submit your paperwork by creating an online account at DisasterAssistance.gov, and then upload the documents to your portal. You may also fax your information to 1-800-827-8112, or mail the forms to FEMA, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville MD 20782-8055.

The approved rental amount will be based on fair market rates for your area as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Extensions on rental assistance may be granted for three-month periods, for up to 18 months from the date of the Major Disaster Declaration, which was signed January 14, 2022. It is also important to update your FEMA application if your contact information or housing status should change.

To apply for FEMA assistance, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others:

Update the "Current Phone" field using the relay service phone number

Add "Relay Service" to the Note box; provide FEMA with your number.

For an accessible video on how to apply for FEMA assistance, go to youtube.com/watch?v=WZGpWI2RCNw.

For more information on Tennessee’s recovery from the severe storms and tornadoes, visit www.tn.gov/tema.html and www.fema.gov/disaster/4637. You may also follow FEMA on www.facebook.com/fema and Twitter@FEMARegion4.

FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.