Resources for Austin residents impacted by severe winter storm

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center has released several resources for the many Austinites still feeling the effects of the February 2021 severe winter storm.

Water

The Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center says it remains active and continues to coordinate response and recovery efforts for the community.

ATCEOC says Residents that are still without water at an apartment, condominium, or multifamily complexes are encouraged to call 311 to report the outage so Austin Code can work with property management to ensure repairs are made in a timely manner.

Bulk water distribution will be available every day this week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the ACC Northridge Campus, 11928 Stonehollow Drive. This site is not distributing bottled water, instead residents are asked to bring their own containers to transport water.

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Emergency Home Repair Program

Monday, the City of Austin launched an Emergency Home Repair Program to assist low-income homeowners repair damages due to the February 2021 Severe Winter Storm.

Officials say the initiative, administered by Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), is part of the City of Austin’s comprehensive response to the winter storm and can provide income-eligible applicants up to $10,000 in repairs or modifications.

Eligible work includes repair or replacement of the following:

Wall/Floor removal
Sewer lines
Gas lines
Water lines and/or water damage
Roof
Electrical System
HVAC units
Plumbing fixtures – including sink pipes and toilets damaged by frozen conditions
Mold remediation

Qualifying homeowners may apply emergency repairs, in English or Spanish, from the home repair program webpage. Applicants with questions or in need of assistance may visit home repair program webpage, email hpdcs@austintexas.gov, or call 512-974-3100 or 3-1-1.

Those who are eligible to participate in the initiative include:

Homeowners within the City of Austin’s full purpose jurisdiction
Household incomes at or below 80% Median Family Income (MFI)
Participants must have experienced damage(s) to their primary residence as a result of the February 2021 Texas Severe Winter Storm, causing harm to the life, health, or safety of the occupants
Participants cannot receive duplicate benefits through FEMA or insurance proceeds

The Development Services Department also established austintexas.gov/atxrepairs, a webpage with information about emergency permitting repairs information. Residents and contractors can also call the emergency repairs permitting hotline at 512-974-1500 or live web chat, both are operational Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Homeowners, and tenants are still dealing with burst pipes, and in some places still no running water.

Debris clean up and repair assistance

Austin Disaster Relief Network and Texas voluntary organizations are collaborating with the counties of Bastrop, Hays, Travis and Williamson in a cleanup effort.

ADRN says this effort has begun and residents in those areas can call the Crisis Clean Up toll free number at 1-800-329-8052 for assistance in clearing their homes, removing debris, and connecting them to contractors for repairs.

Officials say the "Crisis Clean Up" line will operate Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Residents can also visit the "Crisis Clean Up" web page.

For Austin Resource Recovery customers wishing to remove large tree limbs, ARR asks you please cut tree limbs to any size between 5 feet to 15 feet in length and stack them at the curb no higher than 4 feet. Call 3-1-1 to schedule a storm debris collection.

SNAP benefits

Officials say recipients who lost food and/or their Lone Star card in the winter storms can apply for replacement food benefits for both regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotments and SNAP emergency allotments provided in response to COVID-19.

SNAP benefits recipients are encouraged to request replacement benefits through one of the following options:

Dial 2-1-1 and select option 2.
Download and complete Form H1855 (Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed Food Stamp Benefits), Once completed, the form can be faxed to 1-877-447-2839, or mailed to Texas Health and Human Services Commission, PO Box 149027, Austin, TX 78714-9027.

Recipients have until March 31 to request a benefit replacement. For more information on disaster assistance, visit "Receiving Disaster Assistance" on the HHSC website.

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Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Texas Workforce Commision says residents whose take-home pay was impacted by the February winter storm can now apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

Workers who lost their jobs and self-employed individuals who have been unable to work due to damage sustained from the winter storm may be eligible for DUA benefits.

To learn more and apply, go to TWC’s website or call a TWC Tele-Center at 800-939-6631 (7 a.m. - 7 p.︱7 days a week). Applications must be submitted by March 26, 2021.

When applying, residents are asked to specify that the application is related to the damage caused by severe storms.

FEMA assistance

Travis County residents seeking to apply for individual assistance for losses can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 TTY.

Frequently asked questions about applying for aid have been produced by the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

ATCEOC warns that scams for repairs or government aid often happen most after disasters saying in a press release:

"We encourage the public to be diligent and protect themselves and their personal information from scammers. If you suspect that someone or an organization may be trying to capitalize on this disaster, please report it to the Office of the Attorney General. Additional tips on avoiding scams can be found courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission."

Individuals who are looking for additional available City and County resources, as well as other community resources can visit austintexas.gov/weatherinfo or austintexas.gov/infoclimatica for Spanish.