On Jan. 22, 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published an Interim Final Rule on Individual Assistance Program Equity, significantly expanding disaster survivors’ access to federal disaster assistance under the Individuals and Households Program (IHP). Key changes include more flexible funding for home repairs that address deferred maintenance exacerbated by declared disasters; more funding for accessibility-related items; and removing procedural hurdles for survivors seeking Other Needs Assistance. The interim final rule went into effect on March 22, 2024.
For more details on FEMA’s changes to the Individual Assistance program, watch this informational webinar and review EELP’s slide deck.
The rule also responded to public comments submitted in response to FEMA’s April 2021 request for information on how to integrate equity into FEMA programs. Some of the comments addressed topics including limited access to FEMA assistance for survivors with disabilities and a burdensome appeals process for applicants.
Under President Biden, FEMA and other federal agencies took additional steps to expand access to disaster assistance for vulnerable populations:
- On Sep. 20, 2023, FEMA released the Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults to provide older adults and caregivers with a self-assessment worksheet and checklist to identify needs and create personalized preparedness plans. The guide is available in other languages at ready.gov/older-adults.
- On Aug. 25, 2023, FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued guidance to state, local, Tribal, and territorial leaders on preparing for extreme temperatures. The guidance encouraged decision makers to “identify the most vulnerable residents and/or neighborhoods for targeted outreach,” with a focus on older adults, infants, the homeless, people with mobility restrictions, and other subpopulations.
- On Jan. 3, 2023, FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) lowered the income threshold to qualify for federal disaster assistance.
- On Sep. 9, 2021, FEMA expanded the forms of documentation it will accept from applicants to prove occupancy or homeownership in applying for federal assistance.
These actions responded to findings by FEMA that its programs failed to equally benefit all survivors:
- FEMA’s National Advisory Council (NAC) released reports in 2020, 2021, and 2022 highlighting persistent disparities in FEMA programs.
- In June 22, 2022, FEMA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report finding that FEMA ignored equity for over three decades in allocating $1.75 billion in buyout grants, which help communities purchase and demolish flood-prone properties to maintain the land as open space.