Programs and Assistance Approved for Hurricane Ida Survivors

Here is a list of assistance and services available through FEMA, the State of New York and other FEMA partners to assist New York survivors in their recovery from Hurricane Ida.

FEMA Assistance

• The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance is Monday, Dec. 6. Survivors can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app, or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If using video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Lines are open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language.
• NOTE: Survivors do not need to apply separately for the FEMA programs listed below. Eligibility for these programs will be determined during the application process or completion of a housing inspection.
• Clean and Sanitize. If FEMA determines a home had damage from the storm, but that damage did not affect the ability to live in the home, a survivor may be eligible to receive a one-time award of $300 for payment under the Clean and Sanitize program. This assistance is for eligible homeowners and renters and is intended to address minimal damage to the home caused by the disaster to prevent additional losses and potential health and safety concerns.
• Financial Housing Assistance. FEMA provides funds paid directly to eligible individuals and households. Financial Housing Assistance may include rental assistance, lodging expenses reimbursement, home repair assistance, and replacement assistance. All are explained as follows:
  • Rental Assistance can be used to rent alternate housing accommodations, to repair a primary residence damaged by the storm, or help replace a primary residence that was destroyed.
  • Lodging Expense Reimbursement is reimbursement for hotels, motels or other short-term lodging expenses incurred because you became displaced from your primary residence which was damaged in the storm.
  • Home Repair Assistance helps homeowners to repair primary residences damaged by Ida, utilities servicing the primary residence, and residential infrastructure leading to the property.
  • Replacement Assistance helps homeowners to replace primary residences destroyed by the storm.
• Other Needs Assistance. FEMA may provide financial assistance for other disaster-caused expenses and serious needs. This assistance may include funds to replace personal property, moving and storage expenses, transportation assistance, funeral, medical, dental, childcare, and miscellaneous disaster-related items.

Federal Programs Available

• NOTE:  Survivors must apply separately for the federal programs listed below.
• FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program is a federal program enabling property owners in participating communities to purchase flood insurance as protection against flood losses while requiring state and local governments to enforce floodplain management ordinances that aim to reduce flood damage. For more information about the National Flood Insurance Program, visit fema.gov/flood-insurance or call 877-336-2627.
• U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans are the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds for survivors. Businesses, homeowners, renters and certain nonprofits that were affected by Hurricane Ida may apply online for low-interest disaster loans using SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov for more information. Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call 800-877-8339.
• If you believe you may be a victim of fraud or identity theft, report it to the local police or sheriff’s department. Survivors may also contact the FEMA Fraud Investigations and Inspections Division at 866-223-0814 or email StopFEMAFraud@fema.dhs.gov.
• For additional online resources as well as FEMA downloadable pamphlets, visit DisasterAssistance.gov and click “Information.”

Available Through New York State

• Disaster Unemployment Assistance provides temporary benefits to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Ida. To be considered for disaster unemployment assistance, the individual cannot be eligible for regular unemployment benefits. For more information, see the State Department of Labor’s fact sheet p845-dua-factsheet-10-20-21.pdf.  To apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, New Yorkers can call 866-642-7227. The deadline to apply is Thursday, Nov. 18.
• Hurricane Ida Relief Fund for Excluded New Yorkers: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have established a fund totaling $27 million for undocumented individuals who do not qualify for FEMA Individual Assistance through the New York State Office for New Americans. The deadline to apply for these funds is Monday, Dec. 6. For eligible individuals in need of assistance, or for information about this funding, call the New Americans Hotline at 800-566-7636, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday. All calls are confidential. Assistance is available in more than 200 languages. For more information, visit https://dos.ny.gov/office-new-americans or follow the Office for New Americans on Twitter @NYSNewAmericans or Facebook at facebook.com/NYSNewAmericans.
• The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program provides economic relief to help low- and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. It provides financial assistance for late rental payments, temporary rental payments and late utility payments. The program is available statewide except in Yonkers, Hempstead, Islip and Oyster Bay, cities which have their own emergency rental assistance programs. For more information about the program and to apply for assistance, visit https://otda.ny.gov/programs/emergency-rental-assistance/. Survivors may also call 844-691-7368, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
• Disaster Legal Services provide confidential legal advice to low-income individuals who are unable to secure legal services to meet their unmet disaster-caused needs. Residents of Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties can call 888-399-5459 or complete a form at https://nysba.org/ida to receive legal assistance.

Resources

• New York State 211: For referrals to agencies that support community-specific needs, call 211 or visit 211nys.org/contact-us. This contact center provides free and confidential health and human services information. Multilingual specialists can identify service needs and connect survivors to local chapters of nonprofit agencies.
• New York City 311: The call goes to local helpline call centers that have counselors for disaster recovery. The counselors can provide information on access to local resources such as housing, food and health care. Dial 311 or visit https://portal.311.nyc.gov/.
• Hurricane Ida survivors who are struggling with mental-health issues can call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990. The helpline is operated by the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and provides counseling and referrals. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  For more information, visit https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline.

For official information on New York’s recovery effort, visit fema.gov/disaster/4615. Follow FEMA on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion2 and on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.