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Individual 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 How does a community qualify for Individual Assistance? Disaster Assistance for Individuals • Disaster Impact to Community (approx. 100 homes destroyed) • Mental Health Impact • Concentration of Damages • Trauma: Injuries, fatalities • Special Populations • Available Voluntary Agency Assistance • Insurance 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. SBA Basics Declaration 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 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. Human Needs
FEMA State Local SBA Composition of Individual Assistance (I.A.) PDA Teams I.A. Teams usually consist of Local, FEMA, State, and SBA personnel
ResponsibilitiesOf AnIA PDA Team To make an assessment of possible qualification for an individual assistance disaster declaration.
Individual Assistance Data Collection • Degree of damage • Number of damaged dwellings • Insurance coverage • Income level • Types of structures • Utility outages • Availability of resources • Ownership/occupancy status
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 - Income Levels - Unemployment - Special Populations • Deaths & Injuries • Mental Health Impacts • Assistance from other Sources
OTHER INFORMATION GATHERED • Insurance Coverage • Primary/Secondary Homes • Occupancy Status • Businesses Damaged • Housing Resources
Local Role • Brief PDA teams • Have damaged areas identified • Provide personnel familiar with the damaged area • (EMA staff, tax assessors or building officials) • Provide local maps
TEMPORARY ARC SHELTER Local Role • Provide information on ARC activity (shelters, injuries, etc.) • Provide Rapid Assessments to State
State Role • Identify counties requiring a PDA • Coordinate PDA planning/scheduling • with FEMA and the local EMA offices • Provide PDA team members
FEMA Role • Conduct PDA Kickoff Meeting • Provide PDA team members • Compile results of the PDA for the • Regional Analysis and Summary • and Recommendation • Coordinate PDA planning/scheduling • with the State.
Incident Presidential Decision FEMA’s Disaster Review Process FEMA-State PDA Governor’sRequest FEMA Recommendation
Applicant Eligibility General Eligibility Criteria To 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 Assistance • Temporary 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 • Second 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 Assistance • Medical: 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.
Dental: Requires documentation that the injury/loss was disaster related. Will cover the cost of dentures with proper documentation. 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. Introduction to Other Needs Assistance
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.
Insurance Claims Landlord/tenant counseling Home Repair Contracts Consumer Protection Matters Replacement of wills/legal documents Power of Attorney Estate Administration Guardianships Disaster Legal Services: Role of Volunteer Lawyer Lawyers may be asked to assist with:
Offers disaster loans to homeowners and renters for restoring or replacing disaster damaged property. Small Business Administration
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. Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs)
