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Updated March 22, 2024
FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP)
Following an incident, the Federal Emergency Management
The federal government pays 100% of the costs of all forms
Agency (FEMA) may assist individuals with their recovery
of Housing Assistance.
through the Individual Assistance (IA) program if the
President authorizes such assistance pursuant to a
Table 1. Types of IHP Housing Assistance
declaration of emergency or major disaster under the Robert
Housing Assistance:
Housing Assistance:
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
Financial
Direct
(Stafford Act; P.L. 93-288, as amended; 42 U.S.C. §§5121
et seq.). One form of IA is the Individuals and Households
Lodging Expense
Multi-Family Lease and Repair
Program (IHP), through which FEMA may provide
Reimbursement
Transportable Temporary
financial and/or direct assistance for housing, as well as
Rental Assistance
Housing Units
financial assistance for other needs (Stafford Act Section
408, 42 U.S.C. §5174; 44 C.F.R. §§206.101 et seq.).
Home Repair Assistance
Direct Lease
Authorizing IA-IHP Assistance
Home Replacement
Permanent Housing
Assistance
Construction
There is no threshold or trigger that automatically
authorizes IA or IHP assistance. Federal assistance is
Source: CRS’s interpretation of “Figure 5: Housing Assistance” of
intended to supplement the local, state, territory, or tribal
the FEMA Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG), v. 1.1,
government’s response and recovery efforts. Thus, the
FP 104-009-03, May 2021, p. 44, https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/
governor of an affected state or territory or the chief
files/documents/fema_iappg-1.1.pdf.
executive of an affected tribal government must request that
the President declare an emergency or major disaster
Other Needs Assistance
authorizing IA. Using information submitted by the
FEMA can also provide financial assistance to help disaster
governor or chief executive in their major disaster
survivors with the costs of acquiring or obtaining essential
declaration request, FEMA evaluates specific factors to
items or services through ONA. The types of ONA
determine whether there is a need for supplemental federal
available to an applicant will vary based on their disaster-
assistance to individuals (i.e., IA). FEMA then provides a
caused needs. Table 2 lists the types of ONA.
recommendation to the President, who has sole discretion to
States, territories, and tribes may decide to (1) administer
authorize a declaration providing IA, and may limit the
ONA independently; (2) jointly administer ONA with
types of IA that are authorized (e.g., only IHP).
FEMA; or (3) allow FEMA to administer ONA. ONA is
IHP Categories of Assistance
subject to a statutorily set 75% federal and 25% nonfederal
IHP assistance helps address the disaster-caused needs of
cost share, which is borne by the affected state, territory, or
individuals, with certain limitations. The program covers
tribe (not the disaster survivor receiving ONA).
uninsured or under-insured necessary expenses and serious
needs that cannot otherwise be met. Further, the IHP may
Table 2. Types of IHP Other Needs Assistance (ONA)
help make a home safe, sanitary, or functional, but it is not
ONA
necessarily designed to restore the home to its pre-disaster
condition. That said, FEMA may provide repair assistance
Serious Needs Assistance
Childcare Assistance
for a mix of disaster-caused and pre-existing damage when
Displacement Assistance
Assistance for Miscellaneous
needed to make a home habitable.
Personal Property Assistance
Items
There are two categories of IHP assistance: Housing
Transportation Assistance
Moving and Storage
Assistance and Other Needs Assistance (ONA).
Assistance
Group Flood Insurance Policy
Housing Assistance
Clean and Sanitize Assistance
Funeral Assistance
FEMA can help meet a disaster survivor’s housing needs by
Medical and Dental
providing financial and/or direct assistance. Financial
Assistance
Housing Assistance provides grant funds for temporary
accommodations and/or to repair or replace a disaster-
Sources: CRS’s interpretation of “Figure 28: Other Needs
damaged or destroyed primary residence. FEMA first looks
Assistance, Non-SBA-Dependent and SBA-Dependent” of the FEMA
to provide financial assistance before providing Direct
IAPPG, p. 146; Memorandum from Keith Turi, FEMA Assistant
Housing Assistance, which provides disaster survivors with
Administrator, Recovery Directorate to FEMA Regional
a temporary place to live. Table 1 lists the types of
Administrators, “RE: Amendment to FP 104-009-03, Individual
Financial and Direct Housing Assistance.
Assistance Program and Policy Guide, Version 1.1,” September 2,
2021, pp. 11-12, https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/
fema_iappg-policy-amendments-memo.pdf; DHS/FEMA, “Individual
https://crsreports.congress.gov
FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP)
Assistance Program Equity,” 89 Federal Register 3990-4125, January
household composition, the type(s) of assistance being
22, 2024.
requested and the associated eligibility criteria and
limitations, the loss amount determined by FEMA’s
IHP Program Limitations
inspection, and to what extent the applicant’s real and
IHP awards for Financial Housing Assistance and ONA are
personal property losses were insured.
subject to statutory funding caps that limit the amount of
Appealing FEMA’s IHP Decisions
financial assistance an individual can receive. These caps
If FEMA denies an applicant’s IHP request, the applicant
are adjusted annually and published in the Federal Register.
may appeal FEMA’s determination by submitting
Excluded from the maximum award amounts are financial
documentation supporting the appeal request (a written and
assistance to rent alternative housing accommodations and
signed appeal letter of explanation is not required).
funding for accessibility-related home and personal
Applicants can appeal FEMA’s determinations, including
property repair or replacement costs. Notably, individuals
related to their eligibility for assistance, the amount and/or
with pre-existing or disaster-caused disabilities may install
specific type(s) of IHP assistance authorized, FEMA’s
or construct new real-property components that are
decision to recoup assistance, and FEMA’s rejection of a
necessary to meet their household’s accessibility-related
late application, or any other eligibility-related decision.
needs—even if such items were not present in the home
FEMA then reviews the appeal and FEMA’s decision is
prior to the disaster.
final.
Selected forms of ONA are subject to additional
Recoupment and Recoupment Waivers
state/territory/tribe-set funding limits. In addition, some
Federal laws require federal agencies, including FEMA, to
forms of IHP assistance are subject to time-based
identify and recover improper payments (i.e., payments that
limitations (e.g., Initial Rental Assistance allows FEMA to
should not have been made or were made in an incorrect
provide up to two months of assistance). Further, the
amount)—known as recoupment. FEMA is required to
Stafford Act prohibits FEMA from providing assistance
waive recoupment in two situations, provided the debt does
that could constitute a duplication of benefits, and
not involve fraud, a false claim, or misrepresentation by the
applicants must agree to repay FEMA assistance that
debtor or party having an interest in the claim: (1) if the
duplicates other assistance received.
IHP assistance was distributed based on an error by FEMA
IHP Applicant Eligibility
and such debt shall be construed as a hardship; and (2) if
Applicants (i.e., individuals or households) may register for
the IHP assistance is subject to a claim or legal action.
FEMA IHP assistance online or through the FEMA mobile
application, via telephone, or in person. Applicants
IHP recipients who receive a notice of potential debt from
generally have 60 days from the IA declaration to apply for
FEMA may choose to appeal the potential debt. If they do
IHP assistance (unless the registration period is extended),
not appeal the potential debt or if FEMA denies their
and FEMA may also accept late registrations—with an
appeal, the debt becomes final, and the individual may then
explanation justifying the delay (no documentation is
pay the debt, unless FEMA must waive the debt (see
required)—for an additional 60 days.
above).
Per FEMA’s guidance, IHP applicants must meet general
Additional IA and IHP Resources
eligibility requirements—they must:
For a detailed overview of the IHP, including the
•
information touched on in this In Focus, see:
be a U.S. citizen, noncitizen national, or “qualified
alien” (or the parent or guardian of such a minor);
• CRS Report R47015, FEMA’s Individuals and
Households Program (IHP)—Implementation and
• have their identify verified by FEMA;
Considerations for Congress, by Elizabeth M. Webster.
• have disaster-caused needs that cannot be met through
For brief overviews of the IA program, see:
their insurance or other forms of disaster assistance; and
• CRS Infographic IG10024, How FEMA Individual
•
Assistance Works;
have necessary expenses and serious needs that were
directly caused by a declared disaster.
• CRS In Focus IF11298, A Brief Overview of FEMA’s
Individual Assistance Program, by Elizabeth M.
Each type of IHP assistance may require that additional
Webster; and
eligibility conditions be met (e.g., some forms of assistance
require verification of ownership and/or occupancy), and
• CRS Report R46014, FEMA Individual Assistance
may require additional documentation.
Programs: An Overview.
IHP Award Amount Determinations
FEMA’s IA program guidance, the Individual Assistance
The amount of financial assistance an applicant receives
Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG), v. 1.1, FP 104-009-
through the IHP will vary based on their personal
03, May 2021, is available at https://www.fema.gov/sites/
circumstances, and IHP awards are also limited based on
default/files/documents/fema_iappg-1.1.pdf. Additional IA
statutory funding caps (see the above-mentioned IHP
program guidance and resources are available at
Program Limitations). IHP award amounts depend on
factors, including the applicant’s status (e.g., homeowner,
https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/policy-
guidance-and-fact-sheets.
renter, roommate), the number of household members and
https://crsreports.congress.gov
FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP)
IF12049
Elizabeth M. Webster, Specialist in Emergency
Management and Disaster Recovery
Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12049 · VERSION 6 · UPDATED