Individual Assistance Overview

Disaster Assistance for IndividualsIndividual Assistance provides money and services

to people in a disaster area where there has been a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Individual

Assistance for losses not covered by insurance to assist in the repair and/or replacement of property

that has been damaged or destroyed.The Individual and Household Program for

Individual Assistance is funded by FEMA and is designed to help with critical expenses that cannot

be covered in other ways.Maximum Grant Amount: $32,400 per household

Human Needs

• Disaster Impact to Community (approx. 100 homes destroyed)

• Mental Health Impact• Concentration of Damages• Trauma: Injuries, fatalities• Special Populations• Available Voluntary Agency

Assistance• Insurance

How does a community qualify for Individual

Assistance?

What if my county is not eligible for an

Individual Assistance

Declaration?Small Business Administration

If the damages are less extensive the Governor can ask for a Small Business

Administration Administrative Declaration. When the Governor’s request for assistance is received, a

survey of the damaged area(s) is conducted with State and local officials,

and the results are submitted to the Administrator for a decision. When the Administrator of SBA declares an area, both primary and adjacent counties are

eligible for the same assistance.

Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

Some voluntary agencies provide assistance to disaster

survivors in the form of financial assistance, clothing, food,

shelter, case management, and other services.

SBA BasicsDeclaration may be possible when:At least 25 homes (primary residences) and/or

businesses in a county have major damage with uninsured losses of 40% or more of their estimated fair replacement value (Secondary homes, condominium

units, cabins, camps, lake homes, etc., used for recreational purposes are not included in the count.); or

At least three (3) businesses have uninsured loss of 40% or more of their estimated fair replacement value

and, as a direct result of the damages, 25% of the work force in the community would be unemployed for at

least 90 days

Voluntary Organizations•Mass Feeding•Sheltering•Emergency Assistance

•Medical needs•Clean-up/muck-out

Insurance & Personal Resources•Homeowners•Sump Failure & Sewer Back-up rider

•Renters•Flood•Earthquake•Fire•Other

FEMA Programs•Temporary Housing

•Home Repair•Medical, Dental, Funeral

SBA Programs•Real Property Loans

•Personal Property Loans

FEMA Programs•Personal Property

•Moving & Storage

•Transportation•Group Flood Insurance

Voluntary Organizations•Long-term, disaster-related unmet needs

Sequence of Disaster Assistance

Preliminary Damage Assessment

(PDA)

Composition of Individual Assistance (I.A.) PDA Teams

I.A. Teams usually consist of Local, FEMA, State, and SBA personnel

LocalLocal FEMAFEMA StateState SBASBA

To make an assessment of possible qualification for an individual assistance disaster declaration.

To make an assessment of possible qualification for an individual assistance disaster declaration.

ResponsibilitiesOf An

IA PDA Team

ResponsibilitiesOf An

IA PDA Team

Individual Assistance Data Collection

• Number of damaged dwellings

• Degree of damage

• Income level

• Insurance coverage

• Types of structures

• Ownership/occupancy status

• Utility outages• Availability of resources

LOCAL/STATE/FEMA QUESTIONS

• Damages Widespread?

• Concentrated?

• Overall Effect?

• Severity?

LOCAL/STATE/FEMA QUESTIONS

• Damages Beyond the Capability?

• Insurance Coverage?

• Economic Conditions?

• Financial Impacts?

OTHER INFORMATION GATHERED

• Demographics

• Deaths & Injuries

• Mental Health Impacts

• Assistance from other Sources

- Income Levels- Unemployment

- Special Populations

OTHER INFORMATION GATHERED

• Housing Resources

• Insurance Coverage

• Primary/Secondary Homes

• Occupancy Status

• Businesses Damaged

Local Role

• Brief PDA teams

• Provide personnel familiar with the damaged area (EMA staff, tax assessors or building officials)

• Have damaged areas identified

• Provide local maps

Local Role

• Provide information on ARC activity (shelters, injuries, etc.)

• Provide Rapid Assessments to State

TEMPORARYARC SHELTER

State Role

• Identify counties requiring a PDA

• Coordinate PDA planning/scheduling with FEMA and the local EMA offices

• Provide PDA team members

FEMA Role

• Coordinate PDA planning/scheduling

with the State.

• Coordinate PDA planning/scheduling

with the State.

• Provide PDA team members• Provide PDA team members

• Compile results of the PDA for the Regional Analysis and Summary and Recommendation

• Compile results of the PDA for the Regional Analysis and Summary and Recommendation

• Conduct PDA Kickoff Meeting• Conduct PDA Kickoff Meeting

Governor’s Request

FEMA-State PDA

Presidential Decision

FEMA’s Disaster Review Process

Incident

FEMA Recommendation

Applicant Eligibility

General Eligibility CriteriaTo qualify, an applicant must have:

– Disaster related damages – Primary residence– US citizens, non-citizen nationals, qualified

aliens– The disaster-caused need cannot be met

through other forms of disaster assistance or insurance

– Insufficient or no insurance

Individuals & Households Program

Two programs within IHP• Housing Assistance (HA)• Other Needs Assistance (ONA)

Program Maximum: $32,400.00• This is the total amount available for both programs• Changes each year with the Consumer Price Index

FEMA assistance will NOT return an individual to their pre-disaster condition!

Other Needs Assistance (ONA)

ONA is broken in to two parts:– SBA dependent– Non-SBA dependent

Non-SBA dependent includes:– Funeral expenses– Medical expenses– Dental expenses– Other expense (determined during “disaster set-up” with the

State)Smoke detector, humidifier, de-humidifier, generator (requires medical justification), chainsaw, carbon monoxide detector, weather radio

Individual Assistance Process

Home Inspections

Approval or Denial by SBA

Approval: loan application issued

Denial: case routed to Housing Needs Assistance, then to Other Needs Assistance

Case processing

Award

Introduction to IA

Sequence of Delivery for “IA” Assistance:

Duplication of Benefits (DOB):– An applicant cannot receive assistance if assistance

for the same purposes is provided from another source.

– The agency that pays an applicant duplicated assistance is responsible for recouping the funds.

Delivery sequence dictates assistance order.

Introduction to IA

Housing Needs Assistance.Other Needs Assistance Disaster Unemployment Assistance.Crisis Counseling Programs.Disaster Legal Services.

Housing AssistanceTemporary Housing– Rental Assistance– Lodging Expenses– Direct Housing

Home Repair– Financial assistance to repair the home

Replacement– Financial assistance towards the replacement of a home,

up to the max grant

Permanent & semi-permanent construction• Very rare; almost only used outside the

continental US

Inspections

IHP inspection is how FEMA determines grant amounts

There is often confusion around this issue

The public often confuses the Preliminary Damage Assessment with the IHP inspection

During this disaster, many organizations have been doing canvassing and needs assessments

Other Needs Assistance

Other Needs AssistanceSecond part of ONA is SBA dependent

Personal property

Transportation– Repair or replacement of automobile

Moving & storage expenses

Group flood insurance– FEMA will pay for the first three years

REMINDER: all this is within the max grant amount!

Other Needs Assistance

Personal Property: This will cover uninsured losses as follows: furniture for living room, dining room, bedroom (# in household), kitchen (refrigerator, stove, microwave-if there was not a stove pre-disaster-, washer, dryer, one television.

Other Needs Assistance

Funeral: Requires documentation that death was a result of the disaster. Award amount based on IA Max amount.

Other Needs AssistanceMedical: Requires documentation (from doctor or inspector verified) that the injury/illness/loss was result of disaster. Also, must provide medical bills for reimbursement. Medical will cover costs of glasses lost, hearing aids, etc.. With proper documentation.

Other Needs Assistance

Dental: Requires documentation that the injury/loss was disaster related. Will cover the cost of dentures with proper documentation.

Introduction to Other Needs Assistance

Transportation: Cover costs of vehicle if it was destroyed or damaged during the disaster. Vehicle must have been operable and properly registered with the state. In KS the vehicle must be titled, have at minimum liability insurance, and have a current license plate.

Other Needs Assistance Summary

Personal Property and Other Needs Assistance amounts are determined based upon inspections and receipts. Grant Amount is determined and distributed to the applicant. Applicant may receive more than one award payout, but may receive no more than max amount of $32,400.00.

Other Needs Assistance

• Other Needs Assistance: Used to pay for repairing/replacing personal property and/or transportation. In addition, assistance can be used to pay medical, dental and funeral expenses.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

Provides unemployment benefits and reemployment services through the Department of Labor.

Unemployed individuals must register with the state’s unemployment office.

Crisis Counseling Programs (CCP)

Provides supplemental funding to States for short-term counseling services to eligible victims of a Presidentially declared disaster.

Funding awarded from FEMA and administered through the State Mental Health Agency in cooperation with the Center for Mental Health Services.

Disaster Legal Services (DLS)

FEMA, through an agreement with the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association, provides free legal help for disaster victims.Services are intended for low-income individuals.Legal advice is limited to cases that will not produce a fee.

Disaster Legal Services: Role of Volunteer Lawyer

Insurance Claims

Landlord/tenant counseling

Home Repair Contracts

Consumer Protection Matters

Replacement of wills/legal documents

Power of Attorney

Estate Administration

Guardianships

Lawyers may be asked to assist with:

Small Business Administration

Offers disaster loans to homeowners and renters for restoring or replacing disaster damaged property.

Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs)

Located in disaster-impacted areas.Staffed by:– Federal/State/Local govt.– Voluntary Agencies.

Offers advice and access to resources to assist with the disaster recovery process.

Questions?