Learn about the assistance available to disaster survivors from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA)
Contact the FEMA Disaster Assistance Helpline if you have questions about:
Call 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, 7 days a week:
Type of Help
The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides low-interest loans to those in disaster declared areas. SBA loans can be used to make home repairs, replace personal property and more. The SBA offers three types of loans.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans– help small businesses and nonprofits meet their financial obligations, that cannot be made as a result of the disaster
Home Disaster Loans – help homeowners and renters makes repairs and replace personal property
Business Physical Disaster Loans – help provide funds to replace disaster damaged property or real estate.
The Small Business Administration is granting 12 months of no payments and 0% interest for disasters declared on or after 9/21/2022 through 9/21/2023.
If you have received a denial letter from the SBA saying that you are not eligible for a disaster loan or that your application is incomplete, you have the right to appeal the decision within 45 days of receiving mailed notification.
FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA is responsible for coordinating and providing access to financial assistance programs in the event of a federally declared natural disaster. Government assistance programs coordinated by FEMA include: Housing Assistance, Home Repair Assistance, Small Business Administration Disaster loans, Farm Service Agency loans, Cora Brown Fund grants, and Other Needs Assistance.
Yes. The current deadlines to complete and submit FEMA applications are as follows:
Home Repair Assistance – April 19, 2024
FEMA’s housing assistance program is intended to provide financial assistance to pay the cost of temporary housing, housing repairs, housing replacement, and/or replacement of household items.
If you have received a denial letter, you may appeal FEMA’s decision within 60 days of the date of FEMA’s decision. Further information regarding the appeals process can be located on your denial letter. If you would like assistance regarding a FEMA denial, please attend one of our upcoming FEMA appeals clinics.
To be eligible to receive disaster housing assistance from FEMA you, or someone who lives with you, must be a United States citizen, qualified alien, or non-citizen national, your loss must have occurred at your main place of residence, you must not be insured or be under insured, you must not have an alternative rent-free housing option, and your home must have been damaged or destroyed as a result of a federally declared disaster. If there is a US Citizen minor in the household, the application can be made on their behalf, regardless of the parent's immigration status.
If you have questions about FEMA you can find more information by going to www.fema.gov or calling 1-800-621-FEMA.
You can register with FEMA at your nearest Local Assistance Center, by calling 1-800-621-FEMA, or by going online to disasterassistance.gov. Keep in mind that you will need to provide certain documentation during registration. To find a list of the necessary documents you can go to disasterassistance.gov/get-assistance/application-checklist.
Find information about common legal problems. Get help finding legal aid organizations near you