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Updated May 15, 2023
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
Table 2. Types of IHP Other Needs Assistance (ONA)
IHP assistance helps address the disaster-caused needs of
individuals, with certain limitations. The program only
ONA:
ONA:
covers uninsured or under-insured necessary expenses and
SBA-Dependenta
Non-SBA-Dependentb
serious needs that cannot otherwise be met; for example,
the IHP may help make a home safe, sanitary, or functional,
Personal Property Assistance
Funeral Assistance
but is not designed to restore it to its pre-disaster condition.
Transportation Assistance
Medical and Dental
There are two categories of IHP assistance: Housing
Assistance
Assistance and Other Needs Assistance (ONA).
Group Flood Insurance Policy
Childcare Assistance
Housing Assistance
Assistance for Miscellaneous
FEMA can help meet a disaster survivor’s housing needs by
Items
providing financial and/or direct assistance. Financial
Moving and Storage
Housing Assistance provides grant funds for temporary
Assistance
accommodations and/or to repair or replace a damaged
Critical Needs Assistance
primary residence. FEMA first looks to provide financial
assistance before providing Direct Housing Assistance,
Clean and Sanitize Assistance
https://crsreports.congress.gov
FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP)
Source: CRS’s interpretation of Figure 28 on page 146 of FEMA’s
duplication of benefits, FEMA refers applicants who meet
Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG).
the SBA’s minimum income test to first apply for a low-
Notes: “SBA” refers to the Smal Business Administration.
interest SBA disaster loan. If the applicant does not qualify
for an SBA disaster loan or their SBA disaster loan amount
a. SBA-Dependent ONA is only available to individuals or
is insufficient to meet their disaster-caused expenses or
households that do not qualify for an SBA disaster loan or
serious needs, then they can be referred back to FEMA for
whose SBA disaster loan amount is insufficient. Eligibility for
consideration for SBA-Dependent ONA. In September
SBA-Dependent ONA is determined by FEMA in col aboration
2020, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
with SBA (see 42 U.S.C. §5174(e); and 44 C.F.R. §206.119).
found the interconnected SBA Disaster Loan and SBA-
b. Non-SBA-Dependent ONA may be awarded regardless of the
Dependent ONA application process burdensome. As of
individual or household’s SBA disaster loan status (see 42 U.S.C.
July 2022, FEMA reported it was responding to the GAO’s
§5174(e); and 44 C.F.R. §206.119).
recommendations by revising letters to applicants
IHP Program Limitations
explaining the SBA loan application requirement, and
working with the SBA to simplify the application process.
IHP awards for Financial Housing Assistance and ONA are
subject to statutory funding caps that limit the amount of
IHP Award Amount Determinations
financial assistance an individual can receive. These caps
The amount of financial assistance an applicant receives
are adjusted annually and published in the Federal Register.
through the IHP will vary based on their personal
Exempted from the maximum award amounts are financial
circumstances. IHP award amounts depend on factors,
assistance to rent alternative housing accommodations and
including the applicant’s status (e.g., homeowner, renter,
funding for accessibility-related home and personal
roommate), the number of household members and
property repair or replacement costs. Selected forms of
household composition, the type(s) of assistance being
ONA are subject to additional state-set funding limits. In
requested and the associated eligibility criteria and
addition, some forms of IHP assistance are subject to time-
limitations, the loss amount determined by FEMA’s
based limitations. Further, the Stafford Act prohibits FEMA
inspection, and to what extent the applicant’s real and
from providing assistance that could constitute a
personal property losses were insured.
duplication of benefits, and applicants must agree to repay
FEMA assistance that duplicates other assistance received.
Appealing FEMA’s IHP Decisions
IHP Applicant Eligibility
If FEMA denies an applicant’s IHP request, the applicant
may appeal FEMA’s determination by submitting a written
Applicants (i.e., individuals or households) may register for
appeal and supporting documentation. Applicants can
FEMA IHP assistance online, via telephone, or in person.
appeal initial eligibility determinations, decisions related to
Applicants generally have 60 days from the IA declaration
the amount and/or specific type of IHP assistance received,
to apply for IHP assistance (unless the registration period is
and FEMA’s rejection of a late application.
extended), and FEMA may also accept late registrations—
with written justification—for an additional 60 days.
Recoupment and Recoupment Waivers
Federal laws require federal agencies, including FEMA, to
Per FEMA’s guidance, IHP applicants must meet general
identify and recover improper payments (i.e., payments that
eligibility requirements:
should not have been made or were made in an incorrect
amount)—known as recoupment. FEMA is required to
1. “[t]he applicant must be a U.S. citizen,
waive recoupment in two situations, provided the debt does
noncitizen national, or qualified alien” (or
not involve fraud, a false claim, or misrepresentation by the
the parent or guardian of such a minor);
debtor or party having an interest in the claim: (1) if the
2. “FEMA must be able to verify the
IHP assistance was distributed based on an error by FEMA
applicant’s identity”;
and such debt shall be construed as a hardship; and (2) if
3. “[t]he applicant’s insurance, or other
the IHP assistance is subject to a claim or legal action.
forms of disaster assistance received,
cannot meet their disaster-caused needs”;
Additional IA and IHP Resources
and
For a detailed overview of the IHP, including the
4. “[
information touched on in this In Focus, see CRS Report
t]he applicant’s necessary expenses and
R47015, FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program
serious needs are directly caused by a
(IHP)—Implementation and Considerations for Congress,
declared disaster.”
by Elizabeth M. Webster. For brief overviews of the IA
Each type of IHP assistance also requires that additional
program, see CRS Infographic IG10024, How FEMA
eligibility conditions be met, and may require additional
Individual Assistance Works; CRS In Focus IF11298, A
documentation.
Brief Overview of FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program,
by Elizabeth M. Webster; and CRS Report R46014, FEMA
SBA-Dependent ONA Application Consideration
Individual Assistance Programs: An Overview. FEMA’s IA
FEMA and the SBA collaborate to determine an applicant’s
program guidance, the Individual Assistance Program and
eligibility for the three forms of SBA-Dependent ONA: (1)
Policy Guide (IAPPG), v. 1.1, FP 104-009-03, May 2021,
Personal Property Assistance; (2) Transportation
and related guidance are available at https://www.fema.gov/
Assistance; and (3) Group Flood Insurance Policy
assistance/individual/policy-guidance-and-fact-sheets.
Assistance, because these forms of assistance may also be
addressed by an SBA disaster loan. Thus, to avoid a
https://crsreports.congress.gov
FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP)
Elizabeth M. Webster, Analyst in Emergency
Management and Disaster Recovery
IF12049
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.
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12049 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED