General Updates

  • Updated Deadlines. NLIHC has compiled this list of known upcoming deadlines related to disaster recovery.  Some of these are coming up soon, including Feb. 10th for Florida’s TSA.

 IRS

  • EITC Eligibility. The IRS is urging survivors of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria to see if they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). A special computation method is available to residents of the affected areas, increasing their eligibility for EITC or increasing the amount they receive. EITC helps low and moderate-income individuals and families by decreasing the amount of federal taxes due.

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES

FEMA

October Wildfires

By the Numbers: (as of 1/24)

  • 4,368 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $14,645,359 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $8,969,573 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $5,675,786 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed. 

December Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

By the Numbers: (as of 1/24)

  • 250 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $931,681 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $858,001 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $73,680 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed. 

HURRICANE MARIA

FEMA

Puerto Rico

By the Numbers: (as of 1/24)

  • 413,605 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $937,758,669 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $506,141,980 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $431,616,689 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
  • $504,520,496 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated, all for emergency  work

(Categories A-B)**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

U.S. Virgin Islands

By the Numbers: (as of 1/24)

  • 9,449 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $29,748,838 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $20,174,037 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $9,574,801 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
  • $114,038,038 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated**
  • $105,979,860 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) obligated**
  • $644,630 Permanent Work (Categories C-G) obligated**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Local Perspectives

  • Privatizing PREPA. Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Roselló announced that he is moving to privatize the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). The utility company has long been accused of corruption and mismanagement and has faced increasing criticism following Hurricane Maria. Selling PREPA could take around 18 months.
  • Informal Construction. A short Politico video discusses the issue of informal construction in Puerto Rico, which, by some estimates, comprises almost 50% of the island’s housing. Prior to Hurricane Maria, residents built houses on land they did not own or added on to their existing houses without proper permits. FEMA is unwilling to reimburse people for damages to illegally constructed housing.
  • Evacuees in MA. Hundreds of Puerto Rican families have relocated to Massachusetts and are staying in hotels through the TSA program. As their February 14 deadline approaches, families continue to struggle to find more permanent housing solutions. In some places in Puerto Rico, rent for a three-bedroom house is as low as $300, whereas rent for a three bedroom apartment in Massachusetts starts at $950.
  • Foreclosures. Puerto Rican residents are beginning to worry as private banks’ three-month moratorium on foreclosures draws to a close. The number of repossessed homes on the island was already high prior to the storm, and experts worry those numbers will jump significantly, leaving many homeless. The lack of power on much of the island has prohibited people from generating revenue, leaving them unable to begin making mortgage payments again.

HURRICANE IRMA

FEMA

Florida

By the Numbers: (as of 1/24)

  • 769,627 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $980,598,933 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $676,696,225 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $303,902,708 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
  • $13,382,846 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated**
  • $1,013,549 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) obligated**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects

Georgia

By the Numbers: (as of 1/24)

  • 9,313 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $13,115,646 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $9,654,352 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $3,461,294 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
  • $1,928,135 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated**
  • $1,267,576 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) obligated**
  • $109,558 Permanent Work (Categories C-G) obligated**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Puerto Rico

By the Numbers: (as of 1/24)

  • 1,267 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $2,901,755 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $1,491,676 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $1,410,079 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
  • $3,891,330 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated, all for emergency work

(Categories A-B)**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

U.S. Virgin Islands

By the Numbers: (as of 1/24)

  • 7,753 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $28,893,385 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $20,713,208 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $8,180,177 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
  • $4,429,729 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated**
  • $4,407,184 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) obligated**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

HURRICANE HARVEY

FEMA

Texas

By the Numbers: (as of 1/24)

  • 369,124 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $1,535,841,899 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $1,166,369,722 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $369,472,176 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
  • $519,271,289 Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated**
  • $455,590,749 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) obligated**
  • $742,415 Permanent Work (Categories C-G) obligated**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the state via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

  • Infographics. FEMA had created infographics detailing recovery efforts for each Texas County affected by Hurricane Harvey. They also have a statewide infographic.

Local Perspectives

  • Additional Funding for GLO. Texas Governor Greg Abbott approved a General Land Office (GLO) request for $38.6 million to fund direct housing programs. The dollars have been transferred to the GLO from funds previously appropriated for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The transfer will help maintain the program’s functions until the Texas Legislature works on fiscal year 2019 appropriations.