NSSA National Storm Shelter Association
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  • Home
  • About
    • Mission
    • History
    • Board & Committee Members
    • Industry Standards
    • Kiesling Award Winners
  • Consumers
    • Residential Tornado Shelters >
      • Find a Residential Tornado Shelter Provider
      • Homeowner Information
      • Financing & Rebate Programs
    • Community Tornado Shelters >
      • Find a Community Tornado Shelter Provider
    • Useful Links & Information
  • Industry Professionals
    • NSSA Accredited Professional
    • NSSA Certified Inspector
    • AP/CI Code of Conduct
    • Become A Member
    • Membership Benefits
    • Member & Listing Directory
    • Resources & Educational Materials >
      • 2024 Conference Sessions
      • Educational Information
  • News
    • Blog
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
  • Contact


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​Financing and Rebate Options for Purchasing a Tornado Shelter

Tornado Shelters can be a tough financial decision for many homeowners who would like the safety and peace of mind a tornado shelter can provide for their families. The NSSA would like to provide some resources that might help you finance or offset some of the costs of a tornado with a rebate.

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Financing Options

Credit Unions - Many local Credit Unions can provide financing options for the purchase of a tornado shelter. Check with a local credit union in your area for financing. There are also certain Credit Unions that will provide tornado shelter financing outside of the state in which they are located. Simple steps to try:
  • Search the internet for “financing of safe rooms/tornado shelters/storm shelters”
  • Check out the financing options offered by our Produce Members on their websites

Listed below are some possible credit unions to contact: 
  • Oklahoma Central Credit Union- https://www.oklahomacentral.org/ check under Personal
  • Oklahoma Educators Credit Union- http://oecu.com/
  • Tinker Federal credit Union- https://www.tinkerfcu.org/index.php/locations/   check under Loans

FHA Financing - The FHA can provide financing options for homeowners who would like to build a tornado shelter in their existing home or include the cost in new home construction. Any FHA mortgage lender should be able to give you information about FHA insured funding for tornado shelters.
On January 14, 2000, as part of HUD/FHA’s continuing efforts to be responsive to public safety concerns, HUD began allowing borrowers to include windstorm shelters as an eligible work item for FHA 203(k) rehabilitation loans and FHA 203(b) financed new construction. Shelters financed with FHA-insured mortgages must be constructed consistent with the guidelines presented in FEMA publication 320

SBA Disaster Loans - Homeowners who receive a disaster assistance loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to repair or rebuild a damaged or destroyed home may use some of the loan proceeds to construct a tornado shelter. The SBA can also increase the approved disaster loan by up to 20 percent to cover the cost of adding a tornado shelter.
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West Virginia Article 
Disaster Loan Assistance
US Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance

Rebate Programs

ema.ohio.gov/mitigation-recovery/safe-room-rebateOrigin of Funding 
  • Rebate programs are initially funded by FEMA HMGP grant loans made to individual states through the various FEMA Regional offices.
  • States can then elect to set up rebate programs for homeowners to offset the costs of purchasing a residential tornado shelters
  • Every state sets up the administrative rules for the programs and the amount of the rebates to be offered. Normally, the states allow local jurisdictions who sign up to the program the ability to administer the program.
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Searching of Funding 
**Homeowners should contact or search their State Emergency Management Department website for available rebate programs. Homeowners can contact your local county or city emergency management departments for information as well.** http://www.fema.gov/emergency-management-agencies

Listings For Some Current State Rebate Programs
  • Texas: https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/ThreatAwareness/SafeRmRebatemap.pdf
  • Texas:  Panhandle Regional Planning Commission
  • Texas:  Grayson County Emergency Management Residential Safe Room Rebate Program
  • Texas:  Wichita County Safe Room Rebate Program
  • Oklahoma:  Oklahoma- Sooner Safe -Safe Room Rebate Program 
  • Ohio:   2018 Ohio Safe Room Rebate Program
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National Storm Shelter Association
c/o Hannah Argueta
P.O. Box 54
Flora, IL  62839
1-618-599-7037 Or
officemanager@nssa.cc