Recovery Grants Overview
Disaster recovery requires resources. After a natural or man-made emergency or disaster – especially a catastrophic one – infrastructure needs rebuilding, economies need to stabilize, individuals need housing and more. When local and/or State resources are overwhelmed by an emergency or disaster, the President – under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) – can declare the event an emergency or major disaster, opening the door to Federal assistance. Disaster assistance is available from a host of Federal departments and agencies, nonprofits and the private sector.
Assistance is typically provided through:
- Direct Federal Assistance (DFA)
- Mission Assignments
- Technical Assistance
- Grants
GOHSEP-administered or assisted Grants
GOHSEP helps local communities, Tribal authorities and State agencies impacted by disaster to request and manage Federal disaster Recovery Grants authorized under the Stafford Act and administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Significant recovery resources are found in three (3) important FEMA recovery grant programs administered or assisted by GOHSEP:
While GOHSEP provides assistance to the FEMA IA Program, GOHSEP does not administer it. GOHSEP does administer the FEMA PA program and HMGP. Grants are awarded to the State – or a Federally recognized Tribal entity at its option – and subgranted to Subrecipients – also called Applicants. Federally recognized tribes can apply directly to FEMA for assistance OR apply through the State. GOHSEP administers those subgrants in a highly regulated environment, helping to ensure compliance with complex Federal grant requirements.
Who can Apply for FEMA IA + PA + HMGP Grants?
- Individuals and families in Presidentially declared disaster-impacted areas are eligible to apply directly to FEMA for IA.
- Individuals, local, State, federally recognized Tribal entities and eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations – those that provide critical and essential governmental-type services, participate in the post-disaster HMGP program through an eligible Subrecipient (Applicant), typically their Parish governing authority.
- PA is available to local, State, federally recognized Tribal entities and eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations – those that provide critical and essential governmental-type services.
Application Process
Assistance can be applied for after the President makes a disaster declaration for the State. Your Parish must be specifically named in the declaration. The available types of help may be different for each disaster.
Eligible Activities
Individual Assistance (IA)
An IA declaration allows FEMA to provide assistance through the Individuals and Households Program (IHP) to disaster-impacted individuals and households. The Individuals and Households Program assistance includes grants for housing assistance, (e.g., temporary housing and home repairs), and other needs assistance, (e.g., personal property, medical, dental, transportation, etc.), to help individuals recover from the disaster.
Other programs that may be available as a result of an Individual Assistance declaration include:
Public Assistance (PA)
A PA declaration allows FEMA to provide assistance for the restoration and mitigation of damaged facilities. Examples of eligible PA activities include:
- Debris removal
- Emergency protective measures
- Repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of eligible PNPs.
- Temporary facilities needed to relocate services provided at public, PNP and Tribal facilities, disrupted as a result of major disasters and emergencies.
406 Mitigation
In addition to funding that supports mitigation efforts found in post-disaster HMGP noted above, the PA Program also encourages protection of restored damaged facilities from future events by providing assistance for hazard mitigation (HM) measures during the recovery process. Because HM measures within the PA Program during recovery are authorized under section 406 of the Stafford Act are frequently called 406 Mitigation.
For a more detailed discussion eligible Subrecipients, eligible activities and how to apply, click on any of the grants listed in the Recovery GRANTS INDEX above and to the right.
Non-GOHSEP Administered Grants
There are a host of other recovery resources beyond those found in the FEMA PA Program. Some of the more visible ones are identified in the Recovery GRANTS INDEX to the right.
