Lifeline to Storm Victims : Relief: Disaster agency opens Anaheim Hills office to help affected homeowners and businesses get low-interest state and federal funds.

ANAHEIM —  With her 3-month-old daughter cradled in her arms, Kimberly Foster on Tuesday went to the Disaster Application Center here not knowing what to expect but sure about what she needed.

“I’m looking for temporary housing assistance,” said Foster, who was evacuated from her Anaheim Hills home after a 25-acre landslide cracked its foundation. “You can’t pay the mortgage and rent on another place at the same time.”

Foster was one of the first Orange County residents to arrive at the center, which opened Tuesday, to gather forms, forms and more forms in an effort to get financial aid from state and federal agencies.

“This kind of reminds me of registering for college,” Foster said after applying for assistance and meeting with half a dozen government advisers in the spacious office nestled in the Anaheim Hills Festival Shopping Center.

The center, managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is one of 14 across the state being set up this week. FEMA is trying to help the victims of last month’s storms, floods and landslides get low-interest loans or grants made available by President Clinton’s Feb. 3 disaster declaration.

To many residents of Anaheim, Laguna Beach, San Clemente and elsewhere in Orange County who have been affected by the powerful winter storms, the opportunity for financial aid was the first good thing to happen to them in weeks.

“Hopefully, this will help,” said Foster, clutching the paperwork.

The federal government is offering low-interest loans of up to $100,000 for damaged houses and $20,000 for personal property losses. But Foster said that even if she and her husband qualify for a loan, their house on Georgetown Circle might not be worth repairing.

“We might have to give it (the house) back to the bank and start over,” said the mother of three. “We have to wait and see. . . . I really wish I knew if the house was going to stop sliding.”

Foster’s main concern Tuesday, however, was her eligibility for a program that offers up to 18 months of temporary housing rental payments. In some cases, FEMA will also arrange to pay the mortgage for a homeowner who is in jeopardy of foreclosure.

Among the other financial programs available:

* Federal grants up to $11,900.

* Unemployment payments for workers who temporarily lost their jobs because of the disaster.

* Low-interest business loans of up to $500,000.

FEMA also offers crisis counseling and income tax assistance.

Cities affected by the disaster are also entitled to financial help for up to 75% of their costs of repairing and replacing damaged roads, utilities and other publicly owned property.

But the grants and loans take time to process. Property damage and the applications must be verified by FEMA officials before a check is issued. The process could take weeks, officials said.

Despite the number of programs being offered, the center’s first day was rather slow.

Three hours after the office opened, fewer than a dozen people had come in to register for the programs and pick up the forms.

Many of the more than 20 FEMA representatives sat around with little to do but talk to each other.

One explanation for the limited response, said FEMA spokeswoman Cory La Bianca, is that many Orange County residents have been registering for assistance by calling the agency’s toll-free telephone number, instead of applying in person. Since the disaster declaration, 1,000 people across the state, including 172 from Orange County, have registered by phone.

La Bianca added that residents may have decided not to register with FEMA because they incorrectly assumed they made too much money and were ineligible for financial assistance. She said that eligibility is determined by need, not income levels.

Those who did show up Tuesday were eager to get the application process rolling.

“I’m hoping to get some assistance as soon as possible,” said Jeff Turner, another Anaheim Hills resident evacuated after the landslide.

Dennis Sweeney, whose Huntington Beach home was flooded, said he was applying for assistance just in case his insurance company didn’t cover all the damage.

“There’s between $20,000 to $30,000 worth of damage. That’s a lot of money,” he said holding up his stack of forms. “Maybe these people can help me.”

Bob King, the president of the Covey Homeowners’ Assn. in Anaheim Hills, said that he was registering for help on behalf of his 33-member association.

“There’s a lot of damage to common areas because of the landslide,” King said. “I was told (the assistance programs) might cover up to $500,000. That would be very helpful. Very helpful.”

How to Apply for Aid

Residents and business owners who suffered damage in the recent storms can apply for state and federal aid at the Disaster Application Center, 8028 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road in Anaheim. The office will be open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., through Feb 18. Residents and business owners may also apply by calling (800) 462-7585.

Damage must be the direct result of the storms, mud and rockslides and flooding that occurred Jan. 5 through 22.

To expedite the registration and application process, residents should have a driver’s license, home insurance policies, proof of mortgage payments and any other documents showing property ownership.

After an application for a low-interest loan or grant is submitted, government officials review the paperwork to determine eligibility and inspect the damage.

If an applicant is determined to be eligible for financial assistance, a check is issued.

Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency