FEMA announces overhaul of disaster aid, streamlines and expands relief programs

Colin Campo, Houma Courier-Thibodaux Daily Comet
·3 min read

FEMA is publishing changes Monday that will make aid easier to access and offer more ways to assist survivors.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is changing its Individual and Households Program in numerous ways that are intended to provide aid faster, require less paperwork and extend the time to apply for help. These changes will be published Monday and affect any disaster declared after March 22, so it won't affect those still recovering from Hurricane Ida.

The changes will cost $671 million a year, officials said, and are a result of feedback from survivors.

"By making it easier for people to apply for and receive assistance, we're going to help them become more prepared and more resilient for the next threat that may come their way," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said.

Here are some of the changes:

  • Loans: Survivors now can apply for FEMA assistance and SBA loans at the same time. It used to be that a person would have to apply for an SBA loan and be denied before he or she could receive aid from FEMA.

  • Serious Needs Assistance: According to Criswell, FEMA is expanding the Critical Needs Assistance program to apply to all disasters where individual assistance is declared. The program has been renamed to reflect the change, and provides $750 for families to buy necessities like water, food and clothing. Before this change, the state would have had to ask for a one-time payment.

  • Helping Underinsured: Simplified insurance rules so that those whose insurance didn't cover the full damages can now receive help from FEMA. As an example, if a survivor received $42,500 from and insurance company, that person became ineligible for any further assistance, even if the insurance money didn't cover all the repairs needed. Now the survivor can receive up to an additional $42,500 from FEMA.

  • Displacement aid: This is a new program that will give eligible survivors money up front to get immediate housing after a disaster. The amount of money provided will vary by state, Criswell said, but is meant to cover at least 14 days.

"This benefit is going to bridge the gap for those who need rental assistance and keep survivors housed in the aftermath of an event," Criswell said.

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  • Pre-existing damages: Now FEMA can pay for damages that predated the disaster. For instance, if a roof was leaking prior to a disaster and is damaged during a disaster, under current rules, FEMA can only pay for the new damage. Going forward FEMA will repair the leaking damages.

  • Upgrades: FEMA will now be able to pay for upgrades to a building. Under current rules, FEMA must repair a building to pre-disaster designs. Now, if the survivor is eligible, FEMA can pay for these improvements. Examples given were upgrades that fall under the Architectural Barriers Act.

  • Replacing tools: Those who are self employed and lose the tools of their trade in a disaster can now apply to have those tools replaced.

"These changes will allow us to provide work-required tools for self-employed individuals," a senior FEMA official said. "If a self-employed photographer loses their camera, right now they receive nothing… in the future, FEMA will be able to reimburse that cost for the cost of that new camera."

This article originally appeared on The Courier: FEMA making changes to streamline and expand aid programs