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Center Update... |
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What the IFG Has to Offer Victims of the World Trade
Center Attacks
By Charlotte Sullivan
The collapse of the World Trade towers in New York City severely tested the
ability of this nation to provide assistance to more than 100,000 people
who were affected by such a disaster. Beyond dealing with the physical
aftermath at Ground Zero, it was up to the various support agencies to assist
individuals and families with reestablishing their lives. In addition
to providing free legal, financial planning, and housing assistance, the
state of New York also established the Individual & Family Grant Program
(IFG) to provide supplemental financial assistance beyond that which was
covered by other programs.
The IFG, administered by the New York State Department of Labor as a joint
federal-state recovery program, has been authorized to provide additional
assistance to those whose needs have exceeded that which is covered by insurance
or other assistance programs. Assistance provided by IFG typically
includes housing repairs, replacement of personal property (clothing, appliances,
furniture, etc.), reimbursement for vacuum cleaners with High Efficiency
Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration systems, air filters or purifiers, air
conditioner repairs or replacement, transportation repairs, medical/dental
expenses, and funeral expenses.(1,2) The total grant awarded to each
individual or family is not to exceed $14,100, to include both Federal and
State shares.(3)
To receive assistance through the IFG, each of the following avenues must
first be exhausted:
1) Volunteer Emergency Assistance Agencies such as the American Red Cross,
Salvation Army, etc.;
2) Insurance;
3) Disaster Housing Assistance through FEMA; and
4) Small Business Administration (SBA).(4)
The steps to apply for assistance from the IFG are the following:
1) Register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by calling
1.800.462.9029.
2) FEMA will automatically forward the application to New York States’ IFG
Program office.
3) Upon receipt of an acknowledgement letter from the IFG Program office,
the applicant will be provided with purchasing guidelines for eligible items.
4) Questions following receipt of application would be directed to the IFG
Program Helpline at 1.866.346.0348.(5)
The deadline for applying for IFG assistance has been extended to November
30, 2002.(6)
Since its establishment on September 18, 2001, FEMA and the New York State
Emergency Management Office (SEMO) have committed more than $8.4 million
to the IFG Program, assisting more than 6,500 households affected by the
World Trade Center disaster. Add this program to all other emergency
response and recovery programs for New York currently funded by FEMA, SBA,
and the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO), and the total
exceeds $5.5 billion.(7)
It is important to also identify other forms of individual and family assistance
that are available to victims of the World Trade Center attacks, in addition
to that offered by the IFG Program. These include temporary housing,
food stamps, mortgage and rental assistance, disaster unemployment insurance,
crisis counseling, loans to fund rebuilding efforts, legal counseling, and
financial planning. The following links will take the reader to World
Wide Web sites identifying such assistance, as well as information on how
to apply:
1) http://www.fema.gov/diz01/d1391ifg.shtm;
2) http://www.nycosh.org/wtc-compensation.html; 3) http://www.usdoj.gov/victimcompensation/civil_06.html.
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(1,4) “WTC Response Update: Governor Announces Individual and Family Grant
Program Available to Help Cover Necessary Expenses.” http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/year01/sept19_1_01.htm.
September 18, 2001.
(2,5) FEMA. “FEMA Individual & Family Grant Program for Air Purifiers
and Filters, HEPA Vacuums, Air Conditioner Repair/Replacement.” http://fema.gov/diz01/d1391ifg.shtm.
June 21, 2002.
(6) For further information on the deadline extension, visit http://www.fema.gov/diz01/d1391n154.shtm,
“Individual and Family Grant Application Deadline for WTC Victims Now Extended
to Nov. 30, 2002,” FEMA, September 26, 2002.
(7) FEMA. “As One-year Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks Approaches, Federal
and State Programs Continue Assisting Individuals, Families and Businesses.”
http://www.fema.gov/diz01/d1391n143.htm. August 26, 2002.
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