FEMA approves temporary housing program for Iowans in areas hit by flooding, tornadoes

Residents go through the damage a day after a tornado tore through town on May 21, 2024 in Greenfield, Iowa. Multiple deaths and injuries have been reported from a series of tornadoes and powerful storms that hit several Midwestern states. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Iowans in 14 counties who had their homes significantly damaged or destroyed by recent flooding, tornadoes and severe weather will have access to temporary housing assistance through a federal program.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced earlier this week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the Disaster Recovery Temporary Housing Program. The program, providing mobile homes, travel trailers, recreational vehicles and modular homes for six months after a disaster, was modeled after similar FEMA temporary housing programs in states regularly impacted by hurricanes like Florida and Louisiana.

Iowa has been hit by a string of natural disasters in recent months. The Iowa towns of Greenfield and Minden saw significant damage from tornadoes in April and May, while several towns in northwest and north-central Iowa experienced major flooding in June. A tornado also touched down in the Des Moines metro area Monday. Reynolds issued a state disaster proclamation for Des Moines, Dubuque, Mitchell, Polk and Scott counties for the storms beginning July 15.

The temporary housing program and associated funding, now available to communities hit by earlier weather patterns, is open to Iowans with primary residences in Adair, Adams, Buena Vista, Cedar, Clay, Emmet, Jasper, Lyon, Montgomery, Obrien, Plymouth, Polk, Sioux, and Story counties. These areas are approved for FEMA individual assistance through a presidential Major Disaster Declaration.

Reynolds said in a statement that the program is a needed component in helping communities hit by severe weather recover — and help people who have lost their homes stay in their home towns.

“In the course of eight weeks, Iowa was hit with three extreme weather systems, impacting more than 5,000 homes, of which, it’s estimated that more than 2,000 were destroyed,” Reynolds said in a statement. “There is no more urgent need than ensuring displaced Iowans have temporary housing in the communities they call home while they recover and rebuild.”

In addition to the temporary housing program, the governor announced earlier in July that the state is also applying for a Direct Housing program through FEMA to assist with housing for up to 18 months following a natural disaster. Through this program, Iowans who are unable to return to their homes during needed repairs and renovations due to weather damages will be eligible for assistance in leasing available homes and apartments or having mobile homes on private property for a longer period of time.

The temporary housing program will be administered by the state, while the longer-term housing program would be administered directly by FEMA.

The state of Iowa also launched the State Disaster Recovery New Housing Grant and Disaster Recovery Housing Assistance, with applications now open on iowagrants.gov, for developers and homeowners seeking funding assistance for building new properties and repairing homes. The housing grant program provides $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan grant funding, while the housing assistance rehabilitation program, managed by the Iowa Finance Authority, provides $6.5 million in state grants.

FEMA funding through the Individual Assistance and Transitional Sheltering Assistance programs are also available to Iowans living in counties designated by President Joe Biden’s disaster declarations.

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