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1 1 (November 4, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goverev0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Informing the IegisIative dabate sinee 1914 Updated November 4, 2024 FEMA's Individuals and Households Program (IHP) Following an incident, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may assist individuals with their recovery through the Individual Assistance (IA) program if the President authorizes such assistance pursuant to a declaration of emergency or major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act; P.L. 93-288, as amended; 42 U.S.C. §§5121 et seq.). One form of IA is the Individuals and Households Program (IHP), through which FEMA may provide financial and/or direct assistance for housing, as well as financial assistance for other needs (Stafford Act Section 408, 42 U.S.C. §5174; 44 C.F.R. §§206.101 et seq.). Authorizing A-HP Assistance There is no threshold or trigger that automatically authorizes IA or IHP assistance. Federal assistance is intended to supplement the local, state, territory, or tribal government's response and recovery efforts. Thus, the governor of an affected state or territory or the chief executive of an affected tribal government must request that the President declare an emergency or major disaster authorizing IA. Using information submitted by the governor or chief executive in their major disaster declaration request, FEMA evaluates specific factors to determine whether there is a need for supplemental federal assistance to individuals (i.e., IA). FEMA then provides a recommendation to the President, who has sole discretion to authorize a declaration providing IA, and may limit the types of IA that are authorized (e.g., only IHP). HIP Categores ofAssistance IHP assistance helps address the disaster-caused needs of individuals, with certain limitations. The program covers uninsured or under-insured necessary expenses and serious needs that cannot otherwise be met. Further, the IHP may help make a home safe, sanitary, or functional, but it is not necessarily designed to restore the home to its pre-disaster condition. That said, FEMA may provide repair assistance for a mix of disaster-caused and pre-existing damage when needed to make a home habitable. There are two categories of IHP assistance: Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance (ONA). Housing Assistance FEMA can help meet a disaster survivor's housing needs by providing financial and/or direct assistance. Financial Housing Assistance provides grant funds for temporary accommodations and/or to repair or replace a disaster- damaged or destroyed primary residence. FEMA first looks to provide financial assistance before providing Direct Housing Assistance, which provides disaster survivors with a temporary place to live. Table 1 lists the types of Financial and Direct Housing Assistance. The federal government pays 100% of the costs of all forms of Housing Assistance. Table I. Types of IHP Housing Assistance Housing Assistance: Housing Assistance: Financial Direct Lodging Expense Multi-Family Lease and Repair Reimbursement Transportable Temporary Rental Assistance Housing Units Home Repair Assistance Direct Lease Home Replacement Permanent Housing Assistance Construction Source: CRS's interpretation of Figure 5: Housing Assistance of the FEMA IndividualAssistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG), v. 1.1, FP 104-009-03, May 2021, p. 44, https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/ files/documents/fema-iappg- 1.1 .pdf. Other Needs Assstance FEMA can also provide financial assistance to help disaster survivors with the costs of acquiring or obtaining essential items or services through ONA. The types of ONA available to an applicant will vary based on their disaster- caused needs. Table 2 lists the types of ONA. States, territories, and tribes may decide to (1) administer ONA independently; (2) jointly administer ONA with FEMA; or (3) allow FEMA to administer ONA. ONA is subject to a statutorily set 75% federal and 25% nonfederal cost share, which is borne by the affected state, territory, or tribe (not the disaster survivor receiving ONA). Table 2. Types of IHP Other Needs Assistance (ONA) ONA Serious Needs Assistance Childcare Assistance Displacement Assistance Assistance for Miscellaneous Personal Property Assistance Items Transportation Assistance Group Flood Insurance Policy Funeral Assistance Medical and Dental Assistance Moving and Storage Assistance Clean and Sanitize Assistance Sources: CRS's interpretation of Figure 28: Other Needs Assistance, Non-SBA-Dependent and SBA-Dependent of the FEMA IAPPG, p. 146; Memorandum from Keith Turi, FEMA Assistant Administrator, Recovery Directorate to FEMA Regional Administrators, RE: Amendment to FP 104-009-03, Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide, Version 1.1, September 2, 2021, pp. I1-12, https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ fema-iappg-policy-amendments-memo.pdf; DHS/FEMA, Individual

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