Report a Damaged Historic Property
(If requesting assistance, please be ready to provide the property
owner's name,
phone and email,
and the property address.)
See information below.
Recent News:
EMA Individual Assistance Program
Application Deadline: March 5, 2012
Historic homes damaged by the August 23, 2011 earthquake and used as primary residences may be eligible for financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through its Individual Assistance Program. Historic buildings used as businesses may also be eligible for loans issued through the Small Business Administration (SBA).
The initial step to access financial assistance is registration with FEMA. Registering with FEMA is the only way to qualify for federal earthquake disaster aid. Owners of properties damaged by the earthquake should register with FEMA even if damage has already been repaired.
To provide additional information and application assistance to owners of historic properties, FEMA, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) are collaborating on the following town hall meetings:
Tuesday, January 24, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., Culpeper County High School,Representatives from each state and federal agency will be on hand to answer questions and provide information. FEMA will be available to assist with the registration process for the Individual Assistance Program and SBA specialists will be available to answer questions about the SBA low interest disaster loan process. DHR will be available to discuss best practices for repairing historic buildings. Anyone who requires an accommodation to attend a meeting should contact Bettina Hutchings 571-422-1870 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.
To register for Individual Assistance by phone: Call 800-621-FEMA(3362), if you use a TTY, call 1-800-462-7585, if you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-462-3362. Phone lines are open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. EST, seven days a week.
To register for Individual Assistance by smart phones or other mobile devices:
m.fema.gov.
To register for Individual Assistance online: www.DisasterAssistance.gov. Online registration is available at any time.
Do not delay. If you own a property damaged by the earthquake, register immediately and no later than the March 5th deadline.
Yes, if you have an owner-occupied or income-producing building that is
either (a) individually listed or (b)
has been determined eligible for individual listing in the Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR), or (c)
is a contributing resource within a historic district that is listed in the VLR.
Homeowners can receive a state tax credit equal to 25 percent of eligible rehabilitation expenses, provided the work complies with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation (please see this webpage for information about the Standards and related guidance). In order to qualify, expenses must meet or exceed 25% of the assessed value of the building, based on the local real estate tax assessment for the year before the rehabilitation work begins.
In addition to being eligible for state tax credits, income-producing buildings may also be eligible for a 20 percent Federal rehabilitation tax credit. Again, all work must be consistent with the Standards for Rehabilitation, and higher spending thresholds apply.
For more information on the tax credit program, including applications and instructions, please see the Tax Credits section of this website.
Please Note: These directories are provided by the Department of
Historic Resources as a service to property owners, local governments, and state and federal
sponsors in Virginia seeking the assistance of trades people or
professionals with expertise in historic
preservation. Neither directory presumes to be all inclusive; however, all craftsmen, artisans,
contractors, consultants and other professsionals with historic building experience who request inclusion will be listed.
The inclusion of an individual or firm in either directory is not an endorsement by the department or a demonstration of professional competence. As a government agency, the department cannot recommend the services of an individual consultant and does not accept responsibility for the performance of any consultant.
Neither directory should be construed as an “approved” list.
Determining the suitability of the providers is the responsibility of the list owners. It is also the responsibility of the property owner to obtain all appropriate permits and to ascertain that contractors have the appropriate licenses. Licensing requirements and status may be checked at
the
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulations.
If you have an historic home, commercial building, or other historic property that has been damaged by a recent natural disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane, please be aware that the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the historic preservation agency for the Commonwealth, is available to assist you.
It is important to stress that there are alternatives to demolition that save and repair damaged historic buildings. In some cases, this is true even when buildings are initially condemned by local building officials.
Please let DHR know if your historic property has been damaged by an earthquake or hurricane; DHR is here to offer advice or additional assistance.
For more information, contact Randy Jones (randy.jones@dhr.virginia.gov) or by phone at (540) 578-3031. When contacting the department to request assistance, be prepared to provide
If available, a digital image of the property is helpful and can be emailed to Randy Jones.
Posted: 8.24.11 / Updated: 9.21.11