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Relief Now Available When Homes Lost To Wildfire

Les Zaitz/AP

When Oregon families lose their homes in a wildfire, they can now get a little help rebuilding. The new “Wildfire Damage Housing Relief Account” is open.

Oregon Representative Mike McLane calls it a way to “fill the gap” when families lose everything to wildfire. He sponsored House Bill 3148 to provide assistance in the form of small grants to those eligible. 

The money, $5,000 per household, is meant to supplement insurance and personal savings. Eligibility is based on income levels.

McLane: “You know if someone’s fully insured and they have a lot of cash, they’re able to move forward and get things built. When they don’t have a lot of cash they need help and sometimes, frankly, just enough to get you going-to get the permits filed, to get the home site cleared is a huge benefit.”

Currently the total funding for the relief program is capped at $50,000.  Rep. McLane plans to take action during next month’s Legislative Days to secure more money and expand eligibility.

Guidelines and applications can be found here:

http://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/Pages/wildfire-damage-housing-relief-program.aspx

Tiffany joined the KLCC News team in 2007. She studied journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia and worked in a variety of media including television, technical writing, photography and daily print news before moving to the Pacific Northwest.
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