Resources for Hurricane Ian
We know that it will take a long time to rebuild our community, and here at MNMW we want to help spread the word regarding resources and assistance that can help our residents as they put their lives back together. Here you will find some information regarding disaster relief and assistance services.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
President Biden declared that the following counties are disaster areas: Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Sarasota, and Seminole. This means Federal disaster funding will be available to residents and businesses in these areas. Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can apply for assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or using the FEMA app.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effect of the disaster.
As a result of being declared a Federal disaster, the Casualty loss deduction will be available to those suffering a loss.
- If you have a qualified disaster loss, you may elect to deduct the loss without itemizing your deductions.
- The net casualty loss doesn’t need to exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income, but you would reduce each casualty loss by $500 after salvage value and any other reimbursement.
- The disaster loss must be claimed in the taxable year the disaster occurred or in the taxable year immediately before the disaster occurred. (2021)
INSURANCE:
An Insurance Village is located at JetBlue Park 11500 Fenway South Drive, Fort Myers, to assist consumers with insurance claims and other needs. It will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Allstate and State Farm insurance companies have experienced representatives at mobile claims centers across SWFL to help clients process insurance claims for the damage that Hurricane Ian caused for homes, cars, and other property. Each one has a walk-up tent in the Home Depot parking lot at 14655 S Tamiami Trail in Fort Myers.
Allstate has other mobile claims centers in these locations:
- Home Depot at 19690 Cochran Blvd Port Charlotte, FL 3394 – Hours of operation: Monday – Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EST
- Insurance Village Port Charlotte Town Center parking lot at 1441 Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte, FL 33948 – Hours of operation: Monday – Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EST
- Home Depot at 3031 NE Pine Island Road Cape Coral, FL 33909 – Hours of operation: Monday – Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EST
** Insurance companies are warning clients about contracts called Assignment of Benefits, or AOB. Those contracts allow a vendor like a roofer or a mold remediation company to file a claim on your behalf and receive the payment from the insurance company. While the practice is legal, make sure you read and understand all details in an AOB so you can keep claims in your name.
**Information in this section is provided from online NBC-2 and FOX-4 news stories.
HOUSING Airbnb And Expedia Resources For Accommodation:
Airbnb
Airbnb has launched www.airbnb.com/hurricaneianflorida as a resource for Florida residents displaced by Hurricane Ian. The page shows open (vacant and available for rent) properties that are available to be booked outside of the FEMA Disaster zones. As communities become fully restored with water and electricity, Airbnb will add more open properties to the page.
For displaced residents of Lee and Charlotte counties, Airbnb is also working with their nonprofit partners to offer vouchers for temporary housing at Airbnb properties. To learn more, click here.
Expedia
VISIT FLORIDA has activated its Emergency Accommodations Module with Expedia to provide real-time hotel availability throughout the state. This module is automatically populated from Florida inventory information provided to Expedia.
**Information in this section is provided by the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce
SBA DISASTER LOANS:
**The SBA recently released the following information:
SBA provides affordable disaster loans to homeowners and renters for their uninsured or underinsured disaster losses. All disaster survivors referred to the SBA Disaster Loan Program should apply to determine the appropriate type of federal disaster assistance they may receive. There is no cost to apply, and applicants are under no obligation to accept a loan if they qualify for assistance. An SBA disaster loan may be your best and most affordable option to fully repair your damaged home and replace your personal property.
Homeowners and renters are encouraged to submit their SBA disaster loan application, even if they are not sure they will need or want a loan. In most cases, if SBA cannot approve your application, you will be referred back to FEMA to be considered for possible additional grant assistance.
- Homeowners can borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace their damaged primary residence.
- Homeowners and renters can borrow up to $40,000 to replace damaged personal property, including vehicles.
You are encouraged to apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/. To complete the application, make sure you have the following information:
- Updated contact information, including phone numbers;
- Social Security Number and FEMA registration number;
- Insurance information, including company name, address, and policy number;
- Financial information including income, creditor names, monthly payments, and balances.
SBA customer service representatives are available to help you by phone, e-mail, or in person at a disaster recovery center (DRC) in your area. To speak with a customer service representative, call 1-800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. To learn more about the SBA Disaster Loan Program, please visit www.sba.gov/disasterassistance.
Apply Now for SBA Disaster Loan Assistance. There is no need to delay your application until your insurance settlement is final, we strongly encourage you not to wait until the application deadline nears or until you are in immediate need of funds to apply for assistance.
EMPLOYERS’ ASSISTANCE TO EMPLOYEES:
Internal Revenue Code Section 139 enables employers to pay certain expenses for employees as deductible expenses that the employee or independent contractor will not have to include in income. The employer will be able to deduct and not have to pay employment taxes, workers compensation, unemployment compensation, or pension contributions.
A qualified disaster relief payment is any amount paid to or for the benefit of a person to reimburse or pay reasonable and necessary personal, family, living, or funeral expenses resulting from a qualified disaster.
In addition, amounts paid to reimburse or pay for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred for the repair or rehabilitation of a personal residence or the repair or replacement of the contents of a personal residence that is attributable to the disaster will also qualify. This can be a vacation home, but not a home that is rented to someone other than the employee or independent contractor.
The above expenses qualify only to the extent that what was paid for is not compensated by insurance or other sources, and amounts received as Section 139 payments cannot be deducted as casualty losses, so there can be no double tax benefit.
The IRS’ disaster relief page has additional details on returns, payments and tax-related actions qualifying for the additional time.
We hope that you and your loved ones are safe. Our community is strong, and we will get through this together. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about the above information.
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Update on Office Operations Due to Hurricane Ian
Our thoughts are with everyone in SWFL. As we know, the path to recovery will be long and challenging after Hurricane Ian. We are working as quickly as possible to get all of our operations up and running. We appreciate your patience, as recovery from the storm will take time and effort from everyone in SWFL.
We know that our community is strong and will persevere. Southwest Florida will get through this event together. We are keeping everyone in our thoughts, stay safe and know we are here for you.
