Public Benefits After A Disaster

Authored By: Lagniappe Law Lab
Read this in: Spanish / Español

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About Public Benefits After A Disaster

This information covers the public benefits a person might get after a disaster. This includes information for emergency, housing, financial, and food assistance after a disaster. Click on each tab to learn more about assistance in that category. 

Public Benefits Available After Hurricane Francine

For more information about the various public benefits and programs available after Hurricane Francine, visit Hurricane Francine Information and click on the "Public Benefits" tab. 

Public Benefits And Assistance Issues Timeline After A Disaster

These are some of the issues that disaster survivors might face related to public benefits and assistance after a disaster segmented into short-term, medium-term, and long-term challenges: 

Short Term - 1 to 6 weeks after the event 

  • Getting emergency assistance to meet basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and medical care
  • Finding temporary housing assistance 
  • Applying for disaster SNAP programs
  • Applying to FEMA for benefits
  • Applying for disaster unemployment assistance (DUA)
  • Locating important documents for accessing public benefits (ID, proof of residence, employment records)

Medium Term - 1 to 6 months after the event

  • Navigating FEMA claims and appeals
  • Accessing federal, state, and local housing assistance programs to find suitable shelter, repair damaged homes, or assist with the transition to new permanent residences 
  • Filing weekly claims for disaster unemployment assistance (DUA)
  • Appealing an unemployment benefits decision
  • Applying for SBA loans
  • Replacing important documents for accessing public benefits (ID, proof of residence, employment records)

Long Term - 6 months to years after the event

  • Accessing public benefits for long-term housing needs
  • Recovering from long-term economic disruptions, including job loss, decreased income, and rebuilding of local businesses

Emergency Assistance

Emergency Assistance After A Disaster

In Louisiana, Emergency Assistance is available to help individuals and families immediately after a disaster. This type of assistance aims to meet basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and medical care.

Here are some primary sources and types of emergency assistance available: 

  • Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) can provide emergency assistance through programs like the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) for those who are not regular SNAP recipients but need food assistance due to a disaster. Even regular SNAP recipients may get supplemental or emergency SNAP benefits following a disaster. Learn more by clicking here
  • The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) provides emergency financial assistance for housing and other disaster-related expenses. This includes temporary housing assistance, emergency home repairs, and funds for essential home items. Learn more by clicking here. You can also text SHELTER and your zip code (for example, “SHELTER 01234”) to 4FEMA (43362).
  • Organizations such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and local community organizations can offer financial assistance, including for immediate needs such as food, shelter, and water. 
  • Local governments often set up emergency operations centers to coordinate disaster response, including rescue operations, temporary shelters, and distribution of food and water. Check with your local emergency management officials, voluntary agencies or be calling your local 2-1-1. 

Housing Assistance

Housing Assistance After A Disaster

In Louisiana, after a disaster, Housing Assistance programs are mobilized to support affected individuals and families in finding suitable shelter, repairing damaged homes, or assisting with the transition to new permanent residences if necessary. The framework for this assistance typically involves a combination of federal, state, and local resources.

Here's a detailed look at how these programs typically operate:

Federal Level Assistance

  1. FEMA's Individuals and Households Program (IHP): Provides financial help or direct services to those who have necessary expenses and serious needs if they are unable to meet these needs through other means. This can include temporary housing assistance (rental assistance, hotel/motel vouchers), home repair assistance for uninsured or underinsured damages, and in extreme cases, home replacement. Learn more by clicking here

  2. Small Business Administration (SBA) Home and Personal Property Loans: The SBA offers disaster loans to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate in a declared disaster area. Learn more by clicking here

  3. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Offers programs for long-term recovery, including the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, which supports the repair of homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Learn more about HUD disaster resources by clicking here

State and Local Assistance

  • Louisiana Office of Community Development - Disaster Recovery Unit (OCD-DRU): Manages and distributes federal disaster recovery funds to affected residents and businesses. The state works closely with FEMA and HUD to implement and oversee recovery programs. Learn more about OCD-DRU by clicking here

  • Local Governments: May also provide resources and support through their own housing departments or partnerships with local non-profits and community organizations.

Non-Profit and Community-Based Assistance

 

Financial Assistance

Financial Assistance After A Disaster

In Louisiana, following a disaster, various forms of financial assistance are available to help individuals and families recover. These resources aim to address immediate and long-term financial needs arising from disaster-related damages.

Key sources of financial assistance include:

  1. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance Program: Provides financial help or direct services to those who have necessary expenses and serious needs if they are unable to meet these needs through other means. This can include assistance for temporary housing, repair, and replacement of homes, as well as other disaster-related expenses like medical, dental, and funeral costs. Learn more about FEMA benefits by clicking here

  2. Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA): Offers unemployment benefits to individuals who have lost their jobs as a direct result of a disaster and who do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance. Learn more about disaster unemployment assistance by clicking here

  3. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loans: Provides low-interest loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private nonprofit organizations to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, personal property, machinery and equipment, and inventory and business assets. Learn more about SBA disaster loans by clicking here

  4. Louisiana Office of Community Development - Disaster Recovery Unit (OCD-DRU): Manages federal funds allocated for disaster recovery efforts in Louisiana. It offers various programs aimed at rebuilding and restoring affected areas, including financial assistance for housing and infrastructure repairs. Learn more by clicking here

  5. Insurance Claims: Individuals with insurance policies may receive financial assistance by filing claims for covered losses. This can include damages to homes, personal property, and vehicles. Learn more about insurance claims after a disaster by clicking here

Food Assistance

Food Assistance After A Disaster

After a disaster in Louisiana, food assistance becomes a critical need for many individuals and families affected by the event. Several programs and initiatives are activated to ensure that those impacted have access to food during a disaster.

Here's an overview of some key initiatives and programs that typically come into play:

  1. Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP): This program offers short-term food assistance to eligible households that do not regularly receive SNAP benefits. D-SNAP aims to help those whose food supplies were disrupted by providing funds to purchase groceries. Learn more about D-SNAP by clicking here

  2. Replacement SNAP Benefits: This program offers replacement SNAP benefits to households who are already receiving SNAP benefits and have lost food due to a disaster such as a hurricane, flood, or power outage. Learn more by clicking here

  3. Supplemental SNAP Benefits: This program offers supplemental benefits to existing SNAP recipients' benefits when there are disaster situations. Learn more by clicking here

Last Review and Update: Mar 25, 2024
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