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February 14, 2022
FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP)
When a disaster occurs, the Federal Emergency
which provides disaster survivors with a temporary place to
Management Agency (FEMA) may assist individuals with
live (see Table 1 for a list of the types of Financial and
their recovery through the Individual Assistance (IA)
Direct Housing Assistance). The federal government pays
program if the President authorizes such assistance pursuant
100% of the costs of all forms of Housing Assistance.
to a declaration of emergency or major disaster under the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Other Needs Assistance
Assistance Act (Stafford Act; P.L. 93-288, as amended;
FEMA can also provide financial assistance to help disaster
codified at 42 U.S.C. §§5121 et seq.). One form of IA is the
survivors with the costs of acquiring or obtaining essential
Individuals and Households Program (IHP), through which
items or services through ONA. The types of ONA
FEMA may provide financial and/or direct assistance for
available to an applicant will vary based on their disaster-
housing, as well as financial assistance for other needs. The
caused needs. Some types of ONA also involve
IHP is authorized under Stafford Act Section 408 (42
consideration of an applicant’s eligibility for low-interest
U.S.C. §5174); FEMA’s IHP regulations are codified at 44
loans available through the Small Business Administration
C.F.R. §§206.101 et seq.
(SBA) (see Table 2 for a list of the types of SBA-
Dependent and Non-SBA-Dependent ONA, and the
Authorizing IA-IHP Assistance
description on the SBA’s role, included below). States,
There is no threshold or trigger that automatically
territories, and tribes may decide to (1) administer ONA
authorizes IA or IHP assistance. Federal assistance is
independently; (2) jointly administer ONA with FEMA; or
intended to supplement—not supplant—the local, state,
(3) allow FEMA to administer ONA. ONA is subject to a
territory, or tribal government’s response and recovery
statutorily set 75% federal and 25% nonfederal cost share,
efforts. Thus, the governor of an affected state or territory
which is borne by the affected state, territory, or tribe (not
or the chief executive of an affected tribal government must
the individual or household receiving ONA).
request that the President declare an emergency or major
disaster authorizing IA. Using information submitted by the
Table 1. Types of IHP Housing Assistance
governor or chief executive in their major disaster
declaration request, FEMA evaluates specific factors to
Housing Assistance:
Housing Assistance:
determine whether there is a need for supplemental federal
Financial
Direct
assistance to individuals (i.e., IA) (see CRS Report R47015,
Lodging Expense
Multi-Family Lease and Repair
FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP)—
Reimbursement
Implementation and Considerations for Congress, by
Transportable Temporary
Elizabeth M. Webster for more detail). FEMA then
Rental Assistance
Housing Units
provides a recommendation to the President, who has sole
Home Repair Assistance
Direct Lease
discretion to authorize a declaration that provides IA (the
Home Replacement
Permanent Housing
declaration approval may limit the types of IA that are
Assistance
Construction
authorized, to include limiting assistance to the IHP or
selected types of IHP assistance).
Source: CRS’s interpretation of Figure 5 on page 44 of FEMA’s,
Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG).
IHP Categories of Assistance
IHP assistance helps address the disaster-caused needs of
individuals, with certain limitations. The program only
covers uninsured or under-insured necessary expenses and
serious needs that cannot otherwise be met; for example,
the IHP may help make a home safe, sanitary, or functional,
but is not designed to restore it to its pre-disaster condition.
There are two categories of IHP assistance: Housing
Assistance and Other Needs Assistance (ONA).
Housing Assistance
FEMA can help meet a disaster survivor’s housing needs by
providing financial and/or direct assistance. Financial
Housing Assistance provides grant funds for temporary
accommodations and/or to repair or replace a damaged
primary residence. FEMA first looks to provide financial
assistance before providing Direct Housing Assistance,
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link to page 2 link to page 2 FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP)
Table 2. Types of IHP Other Needs Assistance (ONA)
3. “[t]he applicant’s insurance, or other
forms of disaster assistance received,
ONA:
ONA:
cannot meet their disaster-caused needs”;
SBA-Dependenta
Non-SBA-Dependentb
and
Personal Property Assistance
Funeral Assistance
4. “[t]he applicant’s necessary expenses and
Transportation Assistance
Medical and Dental
serious needs are directly caused by a
declared disaster.”
Group Flood Insurance Policy Assistance
Childcare Assistance
Each type of IHP assistance also requires that additional
eligibility conditions be met, and may require additional
Assistance for Miscellaneous
documentation.
Items
Moving and Storage
SBA-Dependent ONA Application Consideration
Assistance
FEMA and the SBA collaborate to determine an applicant’s
Critical Needs Assistance
eligibility for the three forms of SBA-Dependent ONA: (1)
Clean and Removal
Personal Property Assistance; (2) Transportation
Assistance
Assistance; and (3) Group Flood Insurance Policy
Assistance, because these forms of assistance may also be
Source: CRS’s interpretation of Figure 28 on page 146 of FEMA’s
addressed by an SBA disaster loan. Thus, to avoid a
Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG).
duplication of benefits, FEMA refers applicants who meet
Notes: “SBA” refers to the Smal Business Administration.
the SBA’s minimum income test to first apply for a low-
interest SBA disaster loan. If the applicant does not qualify
a. SBA-Dependent ONA is only available to individuals or
for an SBA disaster loan or their SBA disaster loan amount
households that do not qualify for an SBA disaster loan or
is insufficient to meet their disaster-caused expenses or
whose SBA disaster loan amount is insufficient. Eligibility for
serious needs, then they can be referred back to FEMA for
SBA-Dependent ONA is determined by FEMA in col aboration
consideration for SBA-Dependent ONA. In September
with SBA (see 42 U.S.C. §5174(e); and 44 C.F.R. §206.119).
2020, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
b. Non-SBA-Dependent ONA may be awarded regardless of the
found the interconnected SBA Disaster Loan and SBA-
individual or household’s SBA disaster loan status (see 42 U.S.C.
Dependent ONA application process burdensome. As of
§5174(e); and 44 C.F.R. §206.119).
October 2021, FEMA reported it was responding to the
IHP Program Limitations
GAO’s recommendations by revising letters to applicants
explaining the SBA loan application requirement, and
IHP awards for Financial Housing Assistance and ONA are
working with the SBA to simplify the application process.
subject to statutory funding caps that limit the amount of
financial assistance an individual can receive. These caps
IHP Award Amount Determinations
are adjusted annually and published in the Federal Register.
The amount of financial assistance an applicant receives
Exempted from the maximum award amounts are financial
through the IHP will vary based on their personal
assistance to rent alternative housing accommodations and
circumstances. IHP award amounts depend on factors,
funding for accessibility-related home and personal
including the applicant’s status (e.g., homeowner, renter,
property repair or replacement costs. Selected forms of
roommate), the number of household members and
ONA are subject to additional state-set funding limits. In
household composition, the type(s) of assistance being
addition, some forms of IHP assistance are subject to time-
requested and the associated eligibility criteria and
based limitations. Further, the Stafford Act prohibits FEMA
limitations, the loss amount determined by FEMA’s
from providing assistance that could constitute a
inspection, and to what extent the applicant’s real and
duplication of benefits, and applicants must agree to repay
personal property losses were insured.
FEMA assistance that duplicates other assistance received.
IHP Applicant Eligibility
Appealing FEMA’s IHP Decisions
If FEMA denies an applicant’s IHP request, the applicant
Applicants (i.e., individuals or households) may register for
may appeal FEMA’s determination by submitting a written
FEMA IHP assistance online, via telephone, or in person.
appeal and supporting documentation. Applicants can
Applicants generally have 60 days from the IA declaration
appeal initial eligibility determinations, decisions related to
to apply for IHP assistance (unless the registration period is
the amount and/or specific type of IHP assistance received,
extended), and FEMA may also accept late registrations—
and FEMA’s rejection of a late application.
with written justification—for an additional 60 days.
Recoupment and Recoupment Waivers
Per FEMA’s guidance, IHP applicants must meet general
Federal laws require federal agencies, including FEMA, to
eligibility requirements:
identify and recover improper payments (i.e., payments that
should not have been made or were made in an incorrect
1. “[t]he applicant must be a U.S. citizen,
amount). FEMA has some discretion not to pursue
noncitizen national, or qualified alien” (or
recoupment, and may waive a debt owed by an IHP
the parent or guardian of such a minor);
recipient if FEMA provided the assistance in error, and the
2. “FEMA must be able to verify the
recipient can show they were not at fault and the collection
applicant’s identity”;
of the debt would be “against equity and good conscience.”
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FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP)
Additional IA and IHP Resources
program guidance, the Individual Assistance Program and
For a detailed overview of the IHP, including the
Policy Guide (IAPPG), v. 1.1, FP 104-009-03, May 2021,
information touched on in this In Focus, see CRS Report
and related guidance are available at https://www.fema.gov/
R47015, FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program
assistance/individual/policy-guidance-and-fact-sheets.
(IHP)—Implementation and Considerations for Congress,
by Elizabeth M. Webster. For brief overviews of the IA
Elizabeth M. Webster, Analyst in Emergency
program, see CRS Infographic IG10024, How FEMA
Management and Disaster Recovery
Individual Assistance Works; CRS In Focus IF11298, A
Brief Overview of FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program,
IF12049
by Elizabeth M. Webster; and CRS Report R46014, FEMA
Individual Assistance Programs: An Overview. FEMA’s IA
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12049 · VERSION 1 · NEW