Common Legal and Benefits Issues After a Disaster Like Flooding

1. Finding emergency housing. For people impacted by recent flooding — or any Vermonter who needs emergency housing — call 1-800-775-0506 to find out about the General Assistance Housing Program (Hotel or Motel) for Catastrophic Need. If your application is denied, you have the right to appeal that decision. If you are denied or terminated from emergency housing, fill out our form and we will call you back. Or call us for help at 1-800-889-2047. Be sure to give us some details about your problem.
2. Getting emergency benefits like 3SquaresVT (food stamps).
3. Fill out this Vermont 211 form to report that you were impacted by the flooding. Note: You will still have to apply to FEMA. The 211 form collects info to show FEMA there is a need in Vermont. (If you are a business, fill out the business form.)
4. Submitting insurance claims (flood, homeowners, car, renters’, medical, life, etc.) and appealing insurance payouts. Be sure to take photos to document the damage. Keep receipts on all expenses you had after the flood. Keep letters and notes on all your communications with the insurance company. If you have insurance, contact your home/renters/flood/car insurers and file a claim because FEMA will need documentation of what insurance will not cover.
5. Applying for financial help and services from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and appealing FEMA decisions. Keep receipts on all expenses you had after the flood. Be sure to keep all letters and documents you get from FEMA. See our FAQ.
6. Renter / tenant rights after a disaster, including ending a lease, repairs, personal property damage, lockouts, abandoned property, evictions, etc. See our FAQ.
7. Dealing with damaged mobile homes and mobile home parks. See these FAQs about mobile homes and this info from the State of Vermont about destroyed mobile homes.
8. Home repair contracts. Before you hire a contractor, check Vermont's home improvement fraud registry web page. Build back stronger with FEMA Hazard Mitigation HelpLine: If your home was damaged, call 1-833-336-2487 to get advice on how to build your home back stronger and safer. Select #3 for Vermont. Or visit a Disaster Recovery Center. Experts will help any homeowner who asks, not just those dealing with damage from this year.
9. Dealing with scams. Recently, the Attorney General's Office alerted folks to a utility disconnection scam in Vermont. Scammers demand payment along with threats to disconnect your utility. HANG UP and CALL your utility provider directly, using a number you know to be valid. There's also a Craigslist housing scam. Physically go to the place that is for rent before you hand over any money.
10. Consumer rights issues.
11. Mortgage and property tax problems, including avoiding foreclosure, delaying mortgage payments and property tax forgiveness.
12. Replacing important documents destroyed in the natural disaster, such as deeds, identification, birth and marriage records, and the like.
13. Understanding, applying for and accessing your public benefits. These include food stamps (3SquaresVT), welfare (ReachUp), social security disability, Medicaid, etc.
14. Claiming disaster losses on your tax return and other tax relief, including tax deadlines and getting copies of past tax returns.
15. Preparing guardianships and conservatorships.
16. Referrals to local or state agencies which might offer more help (such as the Consumer Assistance Program of the Attorney General’s Office).
17. Helping people with disabilities to get accessible housing, durable medical equipment (like wheelchairs), prescriptions, medical care, including mental health services, and accessible transportation.
18. Helping people with disabilities who work or have their own business. Vermont Legal Aid's Client Assistance Program (CAP) helps people with disabilities who are trying to access help from HireAbility Vermont to get work, or start their own businesses. Because of the flooding, people with disabilities who were working or running their own businesses lost jobs and businesses. If this happened to you, and you want to know whether HireAbility Vermont could help you, or what rights you have to services and financial assistance, contact us and ask to speak with CAP.
19. Helping children maintain their education.
20. Employment issues, including applying for unemployment assistance, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, arranging family leave, etc.
21. General real estate and title issues such as boundary lines.
22. For the following issues, you may want to contact the Vermont Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service to consult with a private lawyer:
    • “Takings” such as the emergency relocation of a road onto a homeowner’s property.
    • Regulatory and permitting issues relating to damaged, destroyed or contaminated property.
    • Access to public infrastructure like roads, sewer, water, power, telephone services.
    • Hazardous waste spills/releases; contaminated property.
    • Estate administration such as insolvent estates.
23. Business issues
    • Business legal issues: Legal Services Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid do not have expertise in business law. If you have questions about leases or other legal issues, contact the Entrepreneurial Legal Lab at Vermont Law School. They are offering help to small businesses with flood-related issues.
    • Financial and other help: See the VBSR page for businesses and VtSBDC website.
    • Help with federal programs like SBA: Contact Vermont’s representatives in Congress.
    • Unemployment: You and your employees may be eligible for unemployment assistance or Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

On March 2, 2024, FEMA announced that public assistance federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations. It can be used for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by severe storm and flooding in Essex, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Windham and Windsor counties. 

Individual assistance is not yet available, but the governor is encouraging Vermonters who have flood damage to report your damages to 2-1-1. If enough people report damages, the state might qualify for individual and household federal disaster relief for the December event

Were your flooding damages from July 2023 made worse by the December 18 - 19, 2023, flooding?

Report your losses to 2-1-1 and also contact us to see how you might ask for more funds from FEMA. Call 1-800-889-2047 and press option 4.