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a disaster declaration for your area. Disaster Housing Assistance This program may provide a safe place to live until repairs to damaged homes are completed. Rent assistance or mobile homes may be provided to those with- out insurance. If repairs can be done quickly to make your house liveable, the program may provide funds to make those repairs. Disaster Loans Home and business owners, farmers, and others with real or personal property losses may be eligible for low-interest loans. These loans are administered by the federal government's Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Farmers Home Admin- istration (FmHA). SBA and FmHA may provide loans even if there is no Presidential disas- ter declaration. Eligibility and loan interest rates vary according to the income and financial condition of the applicant. Check your local paper or TV or radio station for the type of loans available for replacing your per- sonal property and for repairing your house. Individual and Family Grants This program may provide funds for necessary expenses and seri- ous needs. Grants can cover immediate expenses such as medical treatment, transporta- tion, home repair, replacement of essential personal items, and the cost of protecting your prop- erty from the flood. Applicants must not have other financial or insurance resources or be able to qualify for an SBA disaster loan. Income Tax Deductions If a federal declaration is made, you might qualify to file an amended tax return for the past year and get a partial refund for your uninsured casualty losses. Even if no federal declaration is made, you can often deduct your uninsured losses on your next income tax return. Ask the Internal Revenue Service for Publication 547, Non-Business Disasters, Casualties, and Theft, for more information. Floodprooftng Assistance Restoring a building to the con- dition it was in before the flood used to be the focus of govern- ment disaster programs. Now some programs encourage flood proofing-that is, modify- ing the building to help it withstand damage from the next flood. (See Step 8.) The SBA:s Disaster Loan program can loan additiona.l money to cover cer. tain floodproofing costs-ask SBA about it. Other programs for flood proofing assistance vary from state to state. Counseling A variety of programs give advice on recovering from a disaster. These include help with unem- ployment, food stamps, income taxes, insurance claims, legal issues, veterans benefits, and J:t$ill~W S rJ p ,- -"-r-- Check on Financial Assistance l .' 33