Monterey County disaster assistance center to relocate to Salinas
A resource center where people impacted by the January storms in Monterey County can apply for assistance from local, state and federal agencies is moving to a new location.
Hundreds of families registered for assistance at the Spreckels Veterans Memorial Building since it opened on Jan. 21. The center closed on Thursday but will reopen at the Monterey County Government Center at 1441 Schilling Place in Salinas.
The new center will open Saturday, Jan. 28, and will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Feb. 5, county officials said.
"We've been quite busy here for the past week, and there's been a lot of people coming in," said Tiana Suber, a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "FEMA has seen over 100 people a day. It's been really successful here as we are registering people for disaster assistance.
FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the California DMV, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and other agencies are at the center to provide aid to those hardest hit by the storms.
"We're doing very immediate needs, and we're also doing rental assistance. That's what most people have been coming in for," said Suber.
"We know the AG land was definitely impacted by the storms. So having the resources through FEMA, and the availability of assistance community loans things like that, it's definitely something that the community sees as positive," says Daniel Gonzalez, Monterey County Department of Emergency Management.
Nearly 1,800 families and households have registered for assistance, officials said.
Some of the hardest hit in Monterey County are those in the agriculture industry, such as farmers and farmworkers. The United States Department of Agriculture is one of the agencies helping those who lost land or jobs.
"The water entered through our window, and it made all of our things wet. Also, right now there's no work, there's no work, and it's affecting us a lot to pay our rent. It's been really difficult right now," says Florencia Benancio, a Central Coast farmworker.
Anyone who walks in is able to get one-on-one attention. Renters who suffered storm-related damage may be eligible to receive up to $40,000. Homeowners may be eligible for up to $200,000. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small business owners could qualify for loans of as much as $2 million.
"We're giving them hope; that's the point at the end of the day. There are options there and we just want them to utilize it," said Barbara Nitis with the SBA.
According to FEMA, the deadline to apply for disaster assistance is March 16. Businesses have until Oct. 16 to apply. Storm victims can also apply for assistance online through Monterey County's Virtual Local Assistance Center or through the FEMA's website.