CHATTANOOGA, TN. (April 29, 2020) – Greater Chattanooga REALTORS® recently announced new resources allocated for Greater Chattanooga residents and Realtor members affected by the April 12-13 tornadoes. The funds come from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Realtor Relief Fund (RRF).
For Tennessee residents, NAR approved up to $200,000 through the RRF to help victims of the April 12-13 tornadoes. For GA residents, we await the final number, but a significant amount of monies also will be allocated for GA residents who are April 12-13 tornado victims.
Brandi Pearl Thompson, 2020 President of Greater Chattanooga Realtors®, wants those affected to know that this assistance is available. “We are thankful to have these funds available to help some in our community get started on the long, hard path back to recovery.”
“We love our community, and myself and other Realtors are doing all we can to help these families rebuild their lives,” said Ms. Thompson.
The RRF was established to provide housing-related assistance to victims of disasters. Over the past 18 years, RRF has collected and distributed more than $32 million in aid for some 80 disasters in 39 states and territories since it launched after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Since then, it’s helped more than 13,000 families. Every dollar donated goes directly to victims of disaster.
Annually, the Greater Chattanooga Realtors® donates $5,000 to RRF, and Greater Chattanooga Realtors also participates in a National Code of Ethics Day class, for which the goal, in addition to ethics training, is to raise awareness and monies for the RRF.
To apply for funds, applicants should visit gcar.net/disaster-relief, and click on the state of their primary residence. Each household can apply for up to $1,000 to help cover mortgage or rent payments. A list of other resources for disaster relief can also be found there.
The funds are open to all April 12-13 tornado victims, not just Realtors. “We never know when a disaster will strike ourselves or our neighbors, and housing assistance is needed. That’s why the RRF is so important,” said Ms. Thompson.
Donations to the RRF are accepted all year. Those interested can donate by visiting www.gcar.net/disaster-relief. The National Association of REALTORS® covers 100% of administrative expenses. Anyone (not limited to REALTORS®) whose primary residence was damaged by the April 12-13 tornadoes can apply at gcar.net. Only one application per household. Apply by July 31, 2020.