APPLICATION INTAKE FOR FLOOD DAMAGED HOMES IMPACTED BY CORONAVIRUS

Ozark Action, Inc.(OAI) has been accepting applications for residents who had residential damage in West Plains, Willow Springs and Howell County connected to the Spring 2017 flood event .

OAI has been working with the South Central Ozarks Council of Governments (SCOCOG), the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, the cities of West Plains and Willow Springs, and the county of Howell in their efforts to clear properties located in the affected floodplains.

As a reminder, this is the first phase of CDBG funding connected to the flooding, and is for residential property only.

However, office closures and social distancing requirements have altered the way all these agencies are interacting with the public. SCOCOG employees are working from home, and Willow Springs City Hall has closed its lobby to foot traffic. OAI is limiting their contact to only the foyer of their location on Main St. in West Plains. According to Heather Duddridge, administrative assistant to the City of Willow Springs, OAI has turned some people away from the application process due to these limits on interpersonal interaction.

To allow as many applicants to apply as possible, Duddridge said the City of Willow Springs has formally requested a 90 day extension from the current deadline of May 15.  If that request is granted, the application process can continue through mid-August.

Those who want to complete an application should call ahead to OAI at 417-256-6147 to discuss the application process and the documents required.

In general, household members 18 and older will need to have a signed and submitted IRS form 1040, the last three months of pay stubs, a current letter of benefits, or a zero income form, if applicable. Other documents needed include residency and occupancy documentation for the month preceding the flood or the month of the flood; records of disaster assistance previously received, including FEMA and SBA award letters, insurance claims, and repair receipts; documentation of current property tax payments or documentation of a payment plan; proof of current flood insurance for applicants in the floodplain; and proof of disability, if applicable.