A Brief Overview of FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program

A Brief Overview of FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program

Updated March 22, 2024
A Brief Overview of FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program
Following an incident, the Federal Emergency Management
major disaster, which cannot be met through other means or
Agency (FEMA) may implement the Individual Assistance
forms of assistance.
(IA) program to assist disaster survivors when the President
authorizes such assistance pursuant to a declaration of
The federal government provides 100% of the funding for
emergency or major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford
CCP, DUA, DLS, DCM, and IHP-Housing Assistance.
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford
However, IHP-ONA is subject to a statutorily set 75%
Act; P.L. 93-288, as amended; 42 U.S.C. §§5121 et seq.).
federal and 25% nonfederal cost share, borne by the
state/territory/tribe.
IA Programs
FEMA may provide the following forms of IA:
For more information on FEMA’s IA program, see CRS
Report R46014, FEMA Individual Assistance Programs: An
The Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program
Overview.
(CCP; 42 U.S.C. §5183; 42 U.S.C. §5192(a)(6)) assists
individuals through community-based outreach and the
Requesting and Authorizing IA
provision of services (e.g., crisis counseling, psycho-
There is no threshold or trigger that automatically
education, coping skills development) following an
authorizes IA. Federal assistance is intended to
emergency or major disaster. FEMA provides grant funding
supplement—not supplant—the local, state, territory, or
to enable state, local, territory, and tribal governments
tribal government’s response and recovery efforts. Thus,
(SLTTs) to provide CCP services or contract with local
the governor of an affected state or territory or the chief
mental health service providers to offer such services.
executive of an affected tribal government must request that
the President declare an emergency or major disaster
Disaster Case Management (DCM; 42 U.S.C. §5189d)
authorizing IA. Using information submitted by the
partners case managers with disaster survivors to develop
governor or chief executive in their major disaster
and implement disaster recovery plans that address the
declaration request, FEMA evaluates specific factors to
survivor’s unmet needs following a major disaster. FEMA
determine whether there is a need for supplemental federal
provides direct assistance or grant funding to SLTTs or
assistance to individuals (i.e., IA). FEMA then provides a
qualified private organizations to provide DCM.
recommendation to the President, who has sole discretion to
authorize a declaration that provides IA (the declaration
Through Disaster Legal Services (DLS; 42 U.S.C. §5182),
approval may limit the types of IA that are authorized).
attorneys provide free legal advice, counseling, and
representation to low-income individuals to help them
IA Factors
secure benefits or make claims arising from a major
There are two sets of IA factors FEMA may consider: one
disaster. FEMA and the American Bar Association’s Young
applies to governors’ requests (see 44 C.F.R. §206.48(b)),
Lawyers Division have an agreement to provide DLS.
and one applies to chief executives’ requests (see FEMA’s
Tribal Declarations Pilot Guidance, January 2017).
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA; 42 U.S.C.
§5177) provides temporary unemployment benefits and re-
Factors for Evaluating Governors’ Requests
employment assistance to individuals who were employed
FEMA’s factors for evaluating governors’ requests are:
or self-employed and were rendered jobless or whose
employment was interrupted as a direct result of a major
State Fiscal Capacity and Resource Availability: FEMA
disaster, and are ineligible for regular unemployment
considers the availability of government and private-sector
compensation. DUA is funded by FEMA, administered by
resources, and the circumstances that contributed to the
the affected state/territory’s unemployment compensation
state/territory having insufficient resources, potentially
agency, and overseen by the U.S. Department of Labor.
necessitating supplemental federal assistance. FEMA
evaluates:
Through the Individuals and Households Program (IHP;
42 U.S.C. §5174; 42 U.S.C. §5192(a)(6)), FEMA provides
(1) Fiscal Capacity (a principal factor for considering
financial and/or direct assistance for housing, and FEMA
the need for the IHP), which indicates the
(or the state/territory/tribe with a grant from FEMA)
state/territory’s ability manage disaster response and
provides financial assistance for other needs—referred to as
recovery. FEMA considers the state/territory’s ability
Other Needs Assistance (ONA), to eligible disaster
to raise revenue for disaster response and recovery
survivors who have uninsured or under-insured necessary
based on either total taxable resources (TTR) or gross
expenses and serious needs resulting from an emergency or
domestic product (GDP), as well as per capita personal
https://crsreports.congress.gov

A Brief Overview of FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program
income by locality and other factors affecting the
Disaster Related Unemployment: FEMA considers the
state/territory’s ability to collect funds; and
number of individuals who may have lost work or become
unemployed as a result of the disaster and who do not
(2) Resource Availability, which indicates whether the
qualify for standard unemployment insurance. FEMA also
disaster-caused needs can be met using non-Stafford
considers impacts to major employers in the affected
Act sources. FEMA also considers the cumulative
jurisdiction, which could indicate the potential for a
effect of recent disasters in the previous 24 months.
prolonged recovery process.
Uninsured Home and Personal Property Losses: FEMA
Factors for Evaluating Chief Executives’ Requests
considers the results of the FEMA-State Preliminary
FEMA’s factors for evaluating chief executives’ requests
Damage Assessment (PDA) process to examine the extent
are:
of the damage and estimated cost of IHP assistance (a
principal IHP factor). An affected state/territory may
Uninsured Home and Personal Property Losses: FEMA
provide data for consideration, including:
evaluates the damage to the primary residences of enrolled
tribal members and, if requested and approved, non-
(1) the damage-causing peril;
enrolled members of the tribal community, by categorizing
homes based on damage and assessing the magnitude of the
(2) the percentage of affected applicants with insurance
disaster and concentration of damages.
for such peril;
Availability of Housing Resources: FEMA considers the
(3) the concentration of damages;
availability of accessible temporary housing resources.
(4) the number of homes damaged and degree of
Casualties: FEMA considers disaster-caused “deaths or
damage;
injuries [including] of cultural, religious, and government
leaders.”
(5) the estimated cost of assistance;
Impact to Community Infrastructure: FEMA considers
(6) the estimated homeownership rate for the affected
the disaster’s impacts that may adversely affect the
homes; and
“population’s ability to safely and securely reside within the
community,” including the large-scale disruption of
(7) other relevant PDA data that may demonstrate a
community functions and services; impacts to cultural and
need for supplemental assistance.
spiritual facilities; and emergency needs.
Disaster Impacted Population Profile: FEMA considers
Disaster-Impacted Population Profile: FEMA considers
the affected community’s demographics as compared with
the affected community’s demographics, including
national averages (based on U.S. Census Bureau and other
populations that may have a greater need for recovery
federal data), to evaluate whether there is an increased need
support.
for supplemental federal assistance.
Voluntary Agency and Other Assistance: FEMA
Impact to Community Infrastructure: FEMA considers
considers the extent to which disaster survivors’ needs can
the disaster-caused disruption, damage, or destruction to
be met by voluntary agencies, and the local and state
community infrastructure components, which may make it
governments.
difficult for disaster survivors to reside in the community
and may hinder community recovery—specifically,
Tribal Government Resources: FEMA considers the
disruption, damage, or destruction for more than 72 hours
tribal government’s efforts that have or will be made and
to any/all of the following:
the resources that have or will be committed.
(1) “Life-Saving and Life-Sustaining Services” that
The Unique Conditions That May Affect Tribal
provide an “essential community function that ... will
Governments: FEMA considers the tribe’s unique needs
affect public health and safety” (e.g., police, medical
and the conditions that are unique to the tribal community
facilities);
(e.g., needs associated with remote locations or the impact
on the tribal government’s economy).
(2) “Essential Community Services” that improve
quality of life (e.g., social services); and
With regard to both the IA factors FEMA uses to evaluate
governors’ requests and chief executives’ requests, no
(3) “Transportation Infrastructure and Utilities” that,
single factor is determinative; FEMA considers all relevant
for example, render housing uninhabitable or
information submitted by the governor or chief executive as
inaccessible.
part of a declaration request, and the President has the
discretion to authorize IA.
Casualties: FEMA considers the number of individuals
who are missing, injured, or deceased as a result of a
For additional information on the IA factors, see CRS
disaster, which indicates community trauma.
Report R47015, FEMA’s Individuals and Households
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11298 · VERSION 11 · UPDATED

A Brief Overview of FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program
Program (IHP)—Implementation and Considerations for
Elizabeth M. Webster, Specialist in Emergency
Congress.
Management and Disaster Recovery
IF11298

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 | IF11298 · VERSION 11 · UPDATED