FEMA Assistance is available to disaster survivors the unhoused or those residing in non-traditional housing, such as a tent or lean-to type of home before the disaster.
Assistance Available
FEMA may provide some forms of Other Needs Assistance to applicants the unhoused or those residing in non-traditional housing before the disaster. This may include:
| Type of Assistance | What it covers: |
| Medical &Dental Assistance | Lost medications Medical/dental equipment Treatment for a disaster-caused injury Service animal injury or loss |
| Transportation Assistance | Disaster-caused damage to a vehicle |
| Funeral Assistance | Funeral expenses related to the disaster |
| Childcare Assistance | Increased child care expenses |
FEMA does not provide Direct Housing Assistance, Home Repair Assistance, Home Replacement Assistance, or Continued Temporary Rental Assistance to applicants who are unhoused or those residing in non- traditional housing before the disaster.
Additional Assistance for Individuals in Non-traditional Housing
In addition to the assistance listed in the table above, applicants residing in non-traditional housing may also be eligible for:
| Type of Assistance | What it covers: |
| Personal Property Assistance | Bedding, furniture, appliances, and clothing damaged or lost by a disaster |
| Displacement Assistance | Short-term housing. |
| Serious Needs Assistance | Food, water, baby formula, breast-feeding supplies, medication, and other emergency supplies |
| Initial Rental Assistance | Up to 2 months of rental assistance at current Fair Market Rate (FMR). |
To be eligible for Personal Property Assistance or Displacement Assistance, applicants must prove they lived at the disaster-damaged address as their primary home; FEMA calls this “proving occupancy.”
To prove occupancy, FEMA accepts various documentation that places the applicant at the address at the time of the disaster, including:
- Bills mailed to the applicant’s address
- Federal or State Benefit Document
- Identification Card
- Motor Vehicle Registration
- Social Service Organization Document
- Affidavits of Residency or Court Documentation
- Local School Document
- Employer’s Document
If the applicant does not have access to documentation proving occupancy, they may provide a statement from a public official, member of tribal council, homeless outreach advocate, etc. The statement must be written and signed, and include the applicant’s name, location of residence, dates of occupancy, and the source’s name, title, and contact information.
Application Considerations
When applying for FEMA disaster assistance, the applicant may select “Other” for residence type if they apply online.
If they apply by phone, they can explain their living situation to the FEMA representative.
Apply for FEMA Individual Assistance
- Online: DisasterAssistance.gov (fastest option)
- FEMA App: available on the Apple App Store or Google Play
- By Phone: 1-800-621-3362. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone, or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
Unhoused is defined as an individual whose pre-disaster living arrangements were transient in nature and void of any form of structural ownership. Examples of unhoused living situations may include rent-free shelters, bridges, underpasses, or streets. Non-Traditional Housing is defined as a form of dwelling void of structural floor, structural walls, and structural roof.