RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 8, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is committed to the health and welfare of small communities across the commonwealth and offers assistance through various programs to help homeowners, businesses, and communities rebuild when disaster strikes.
“Virginians in Giles, Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wythe counties and the independent city of Galax who were impacted by Tropical Storm Helene should first contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency and then reach out to Rural Development for more help to take the next steps in the recovery journey,” said Virginia State Director Perry Hickman.
An overview of available resources is provided below:
Rural Development (RD) Home Loan Borrowers
RD is here to help when a disaster damages property or affects a borrower’s income. We Care letters have been mailed to borrowers in impacted areas to provide instructions for obtaining the following assistance packages:
- Claims (property damage)
- Payment Assistance (reduced income by more than 10 percent) or
- Moratorium (six-month hold due to excessive, non-reimbursable repair expenses or job loss due to disaster with no package required).
Other servicing actions include:
- Extending payment assistance agreements expiring within the next six months for at least an additional six months to enable borrowers to gather important papers and complete their payment assistance renewal applications.
- Waiving late fees for homeowners in affected areas for at least six months.
RD recognizes that full mail service may not be available in affected areas as people are displaced and expects post offices to hold these letters along with other mail or that homeowners will place forwards to temporary locations. Borrowers can send email queries to rdquestion@usda.gov and verbally request a moratorium by contacting the Servicing Office at (888) 796-0538 or TDD (800) 438-1832 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time on Monday through Friday. Please have your account or social security number available when you call.
Priority Housing Access for Displaced Households
Current multifamily tenants displaced by a natural disaster can receive a Letter of Priority Entitlement or LOPE that enables them to apply for housing in USDA Rural Development or U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) financed properties. Tenants with LOPEs may receive priority placement in vacant units and be moved to the top of waitlists for RD-financed multifamily properties. RD's Multi-Family Housing staff members can answer any questions about the letter and process.
Single Family Housing Home Repair Loans & Grants
Also known as the Section 504 Home Repair Program, this offering provides loans to renovate, improve or modernize the dwellings of very-low-income homeowners and grants to help very-low-income people aged 62 or older remove health and safety hazards in their residences. The following waivers may be authorized for Virginia residents in rural areas impacted by Tropical Storm Helene:
- Increase grant maximum from $10,000 to $15,000
- Combine loans and grants for up to $55,000 in assistance
- Permit eligible homeowners to apply for loans and disaster-related grants (age restriction on grants)
- Authorize refinancing of disaster-related home repair debt or obligations incurred before the date of application
Essential Community Facilities Assistance
Community Facilities Programs offer direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants to help restore essential public services and facilities in communities after disaster strikes. Existing borrowers may be eligible for various servicing options.
Infrastructure Assistance
Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Environmental Programs (WEP) grant funding can be applied to the non-federal cost share for FEMA-eligible rural waste and water system repair, restoration, and mitigation projects. Rural water and waste system officials may request this assistance from RUS or RUS staff may request assistance on behalf of the system.
Virginia Rural Water Association (VRWA) Circuit Riders and technical assistance providers are also available to provide hands-on assistance following disasters. VRWA and Southeast Rural Community Assistance Partnership (SERCAP) can assist rural water and waste system officials with damage assessments, providing valuable information on the post-incident status of rural water and waste systems.
Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants (ECWAG) can also help eligible rural communities prepare for or recover from events that threaten the availability of safe, reliable drinking water. Grants can be used to make line repairs for water distribution issues and fund intake or treatment facility water source projects.
Business Assistance
USDA RD partners with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide financial backing and technical assistance to stimulate business creation and growth after disasters. Existing business programs borrowers impacted by Hurricane Helene may be eligible for various servicing options.
Enterprises operating in Grayson County may also qualify for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) under a North Carolina disaster declaration. EIDL provides working capital loans to help small businesses, agricultural cooperatives, aquaculture operations, and most private, nonprofit organizations meet ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met due to the disaster.
SBA disaster loan applications may be submitted online at https://lending.sba.gov or at locally announced locations. Contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center by email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or by phone at 1-800-659-2955 for further assistance. Dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Contact USDA
We’re here when you’re ready to learn more about available programs and services. Reach out to your local Virginia office and visit our GovDelivery subscriber page to get regular updates. Download this resource guide to get more details on what’s available through RD and other government agencies.