FEMA disaster assistance now includes additional features to make your home healthier and safer if it was affected by Hurricane Ida. These added types of assistance are part of the Individuals and Households Program, and there is no separate application process. It’s important to remember that survivors need to apply with FEMA to find out what assistance they may be eligible for.
Home Repair - Disaster-Caused Mold
- FEMA may provide financial assistance so homeowners can repair their homes that have Hurricane Ida-caused mold growth.
- These funds can be used to repair or replace items in your home such as door frames, broken windows or a ruined sump pump that will make living there more functional and comfortable.
- Fact sheets and other resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency to learn about mold cleanup, removal and remediation are available at Cleanup and Remediation | CDC.
- Officials advise, people with asthma and other lung conditions and/or immune suppression should not enter buildings with indoor water leaks or mold growth that can be seen or smelled, even if they do not have an allergy to mold. Children should not take part in disaster cleanup work.
- All applicants with disaster-caused mold damage may be eligible for this assistance when they meet all other conditions of eligibility.
- These funds will be provided as part of your Home Repair Assistance award.
Other Needs Assistance - Clean and Sanitize Assistance
- If your home has damage but it is livable, FEMA may be able to provide up to $300 of financial assistance to help prevent additional losses and protect the health and safety of your household. This aid is for eligible homeowners and renters and can be used to pay for supplies or a service to clean up.
- To qualify, you will need to meet the following criteria:
- Your pre-disaster primary home must be in one of the 25 parishes designated for Individual Assistance;
- Based on a FEMA inspection, your home has disaster damage recorded; or
- If you are a renter, the inspection noted clean-up actions are needed or have been taken;
- The damage is not covered by your insurance;
- FEMA determines your disaster-damaged primary residence is safe to occupy.
Home Repair -Disaster-Caused Accessibility Needs
- FEMA may provide financial assistance for damaged accessibility items if they were present in your home before Hurricane Ida and were damaged in the storm or flooding.
- In addition, financial assistance may be provided if you or a family member became disabled because of the hurricane and now require accessibility modifications.
- Survivors may be eligible for the following items:
- Exterior ramp
- Grab bars
- Paved path of travel to the entrance from the applicant’s vehicle
- FEMA cannot pay for items that were covered by your insurance or provided by another source,
- You must provide documentation stating that the injury or illness was caused by the disaster and that it limits one or more of your major life activities (e.g., walking, dressing, self-care).
- Local non-profit organizations may be able to provide other needed medical equipment. Call 2-1-1 to locate resources near you.
You can apply for disaster assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA mobile app. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.
For the latest information on Hurricane Ida visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4611. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/FEMARegion6 and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/FEMARegion6/.