Florida houses of worship and other private nonprofit organizations may be eligible for FEMA assistance to help pay for emergency protective measures, debris removal and restoration of facilities damaged by Hurricanes Nicole or Ian.
FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program may provide assistance to faith-based organizations that provide essential social services to the public.
FEMA encourages protecting these damaged facilities from future events by providing funding for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process.
Eligibility
- The house of worship must be owned or operated by a private nonprofit organization.
- It must have sustained damage caused by either Hurricane Nicole in Brevard, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Martin, Nassau, Palm Beach, St. Johns, St. Lucie or Volusia counties, or Hurricane Ian in Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, or Volusia counties.
- The facility must be open to the public.
- The application must include state and/or U.S. Internal Revenue Service documentation of tax-exempt status, pre-disaster charter and other documentation.
The deadline to apply for Hurricane Nicole damage is January 11, 2023.
The deadline to apply for Hurricane Ian damage is January 6, 2023.
Organizations that provide services of a non-critical, essential social-type services must apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in order to be considered for PA grants. Grants may be available to these organizations for repair or replacement costs that SBA loans do not cover. The organizations can apply to FEMA while they are waiting for SBA’s response.
Other Resources
Houses of worship administrators can contact their county emergency management office for more information on how to submit a FEMA request for Public Assistance.
Public Assistance Policies - Official guidance, policies, news advisories and related publications that govern the program include:
- Public Assistance Program & Policy Guide (PAPPG) FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (version 4 applicable to emergencies and major disasters declared on or after June 1, 2020.)
- Public Assistance Program Delivery Guide (fema.gov) (draft document published September 2022.)
- For the latest information on Hurricane Nicole, visit fema.gov/disaster/4680.
- For Hurricane Ian recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4673.
- Get information from the state of Florida at floridadisaster.org/info
- Follow FEMA on Twitter at FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and at facebook.com/fema.
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