FEMA Fact Sheet

August 2021 1

Update to FEMA’s Individual Assistance 

Program and Policy Guide, Version 1.1

Underserved communities, to include individuals with low income and people of color, struggle more when 

recovering from disasters in comparison to communities with greater resources. As part of FEMA’s 

commitment to ensure equity in the delivery of assistance to survivors and communities, FEMA examined 

programs and processes, identifying potential policy changes that can decrease barriers. Based on the

analysis of our statutory and regulatory authorities and current policy and program guidance and

additional feedback, FEMA amended the Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG), Version 

1.1, to create additional flexibilities that ensure access to assistance is equitably provided to all survivors. 

The policy changes outlined below apply for disasters declared on or after August 23, 2021.

Expanded Federal Disaster Assistance 

 FEMA will implement the following actions for all future disasters for which Individual Assistance is offered to 

disaster survivors:

o Providing financial assistance to applicants with disaster damage that did not cause their home to be 

unlivable to clean and sanitize their home to help prevent additional losses and protect the health and 

safety of the household.

o Issuing inspections for applicants that are pending verifications for identity, occupancy, and/or ownership 

and providing additional support to verify these requirements at the time of inspection and through 

additional outreach to this population.

o Providing financial assistance to applicants for the cost of real property needs (limited to wheelchair ramp, 

grab bars, and a paved path) due to a disaster-caused disability, when these items were not present in the 

home before the disaster. 

o Providing financial assistance to repair real property components impacted by disaster-caused mold growth.

Occupancy and Ownership Verification

FEMA is expanding the types and acceptable dates of documents that disaster survivors can provide to verify home 

ownership and occupancy. FEMA is required by law to verify an applicant’s occupancy for Housing Assistance and 

some types of Other Needs Assistance (ONA). FEMA is also required by law to verify an applicant’s ownership of their 

home to provide financial assistance to repair or replace their home.
Fact Sheet - Update to FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide, Version 1.1

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FEMA has expanded the acceptable date range for most documents to one year prior to the start of the incident 

period for the declared disaster. FEMA will also accept documents dated after the disaster, within the period of 

assistance, when the documents clearly show that the applicant occupied or owned the home at the time of the 

disaster.

Occupancy

When FEMA is unable to verify an applicant’s occupancy of their disaster-damaged primary residence, the 

applicant may submit documents to verify occupancy.

Documentation to Verify Occupancy 

Document and Description Acceptable Document Dates 

Utility Bills: Electric, gas, oil, trash, water/sewer 

bills that reflect the name of the applicant or coapplicant and the disaster-damaged residence 

address.

Utility bills must be dated within one year prior 

to the disaster or within the period of 

assistance.

Other Bills: Bank or credit card bill, phone bill, 

cable/satellite bill, medical provider’s bill, etc., 

that reflect the name of the applicant or coapplicant and the disaster-damaged residence 

address.

Bills or invoices must be dated within one year 

prior to the disaster or within the period of 

assistance. 

Employer’s Documents: Pay stubs or similar 

documents received before the disaster, or a 

letter or other written statement from an 

employer prepared after the disaster, that 

reflects the name of the applicant or coapplicant and the disaster-damaged residence 

address. The letter or written statement must 

include the name and telephone number of the 

individual or organization providing verification.

Employer’s documents must be dated within 

one year prior to the disaster or within the 

period of assistance.

Lease/Housing Agreement: Copy of a written 

lease, housing agreement, or a letter or other 

written statement from the landlord that 

includes:

• the name of the applicant or co-applicant

• the landlord’s contact information 

• the basic terms of tenancy including:

Documents must be current/effective during 

the disaster incident period but may be dated 

within the period of assistance.
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Documentation to Verify Occupancy 

Document and Description Acceptable Document Dates 

o the location of the pre-disaster unit,

o duration of the lease confirming that the 

applicant lived there at the time of the 

disaster, and

o signatures from both the applicant or 

co-applicant and the landlord.

FEMA will accept a lease or housing agreement 

without a signature from the landlord, but FEMA 

must be able to verify the lease with the 

landlord. 

Rent Receipts: Copy of a rent receipt or bank 

statement (with image of the cancelled rent 

check) that reflects the name of the applicant 

or co-applicant, the landlord’s contact 

information, and the address of the pre-disaster 

housing unit. 

Rent receipts must be dated within one year 

prior to the disaster or within the period of 

assistance.

Public Official’s Documents: Documentation 

received before the disaster from a public 

official (e.g., Police Chief, Mayor, Postmaster, 

state, local, tribal, or territorial government 

official) that includes the name of the applicant 

or co-applicant and the disaster-damaged 

residence address or a letter or other written 

statement prepared after the disaster that 

includes the name of the applicant or coapplicant, the disaster-damaged residence 

address, and that the applicant or co-applicant 

occupied the disaster-damaged dwelling at the 

time of the disaster. The letter or written 

statement must include the name and 

telephone number of the public official 

providing verification.

Public official’s document must be dated within 

one year prior to the disaster or within the 

period of assistance.

Identification Cards: Driver’s license, stateissued ID card, or voter registration card that 

reflects the name of the applicant or coapplicant and the disaster-damaged residence 

address.

Identification documents must be issued and 

dated prior to the incident start date and 

current (not expired) at the time of the disaster.
Fact Sheet - Update to FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide, Version 1.1

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Documentation to Verify Occupancy 

Document and Description Acceptable Document Dates 

Social Service Organization Documents:

Documentation received before the disaster 

from a social service organization that provided 

pre-disaster services to the applicant (e.g., 

Center for Independent Living, Meals on 

Wheels, the National Urban League) and 

includes the name of the applicant or coapplicant and the disaster-damaged residence 

address or a letter or other written statement 

from the organization prepared after the 

disaster verifying that the applicant or coapplicant occupied the disaster-damaged 

dwelling address at the time of the disaster. 

The letter or written statement must include the 

name and telephone number of the individual 

or organization providing verification.

The social service organization documents must 

be dated within one year prior to the disaster or 

within the period of assistance.

Local School Documents: Documentation 

received from the school or school district 

before the disaster that include the child’s 

disaster-damaged residence and the name of 

the applicant or co-applicant, or a letter or other 

written statement from the school or school 

district prepared after the disaster verifying the 

child’s residence at the time of the disaster and 

includes, in the case of a dependent, the name 

of the applicant or co-applicant. The letter or 

written statement must include the name and 

telephone number of the individual or 

organization providing verification.

The local school district documents must be 

dated within one year prior to the disaster or 

within the period of assistance.

Federal or State Benefit Documents:

Documents received before the disaster from a 

federal or state agency that provided benefits to 

the applicant (e.g., Supplemental Nutrition 

Assistance Program (SNAP)) and includes the 

name of the applicant or co-applicant and the 

disaster-damaged residence address or a letter 

or other written statement from the 

The federal or state agency benefits documents 

must be dated within one year prior to the 

disaster or within the period of assistance.
Fact Sheet - Update to FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide, Version 1.1

Learn more at fema.gov August 2021 5

Documentation to Verify Occupancy 

Document and Description Acceptable Document Dates 

organization prepared after the disaster 

verifying that the applicant or co-applicant 

occupied the disaster-damaged dwelling 

address at the time of the disaster. The letter or 

written statement must include the name and 

telephone number of the individual or 

organization providing verification.

Motor Vehicle Registration: Copy of a motor 

vehicle registration which shows that the 

vehicle was registered to the applicant or coapplicant at the disaster-damaged residence 

address.

The motor vehicle registration must be issued 

within one year prior to the disaster or within 

the period of assistance

Affidavits of Residency or Other Court 

Documentation: Copy of court documentation 

which notes the name of the applicant or coapplicant and the disaster-damaged residence 

address.

Affidavits of residency or other court 

documentation must be dated within one year 

prior to the disaster or within the period of 

assistance.

Mobile Home Park Documents: In the case of 

mobile homes or travel trailers located in a 

mobile home park, the applicant or co-applicant 

may submit a letter or other written statement 

from the park owner or manager, which states 

that the applicant or co-applicant occupied the 

disaster-damaged dwelling at the time of the 

disaster. The letter or written statement must 

include the name and telephone number of the 

individual providing verification.

The mobile home park owner’s or manager’s 

documents must be dated within the period of 

assistance.

Additionally, FEMA may accept a written self-declarative statement as a last resort from survivors who lived 

in mobile homes or travel trailers and experience challenges with obtaining traditional forms of

documentation. FEMA may also accept these statements as a last resort from applicants living in insular 

areas, islands, and tribal lands. Self-declarative statements may be written post-disaster but must be 

provided to FEMA in writing to be maintained in the applicant’s file. 
Fact Sheet - Update to FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide, Version 1.1

Learn more at fema.gov August 2021 6

Ownership

When FEMA is unable to verify an applicant’s ownership of their disaster-damaged primary residence, the 

applicant may submit documents including deeds, mortgage documentation, property tax information, and 

bill of sale. FEMA will now accept the documents listed below to verify ownership. 

Documentation to Verify Ownership 

Document and Description Acceptable Document Date 

Deed or Official Record: Original deed or deed 

of trust to the property.

Deed must be current/effective during the 

disaster incident period. Applicants may submit 

a document that is dated within the period of 

assistance.

Mortgage Documentation: Mortgage statement 

or escrow analysis.

Mortgage statements or escrow documents 

must be dated within one year prior to the 

disaster or within the period of assistance.

Structural or real property insurance document, 

bill, or payment record. Documents must be dated within one year prior 

to the disaster or within the period of 

assistance.

Property tax receipts or property tax bill

Document must be current and/or effective 

during the disaster incident period. Applicants 

may submit a document that is dated within the 

period of assistance. 

Manufactured home certificate of title

Real Estate Provisions

Contract for Deed

Land Installment Contract

Quitclaim Deed

Bill of Sale or Bond for Title

Will or Affidavit of Heirship naming the applicant 

heir to the property and a death certificate

Receipts for Major Repairs or Improvements: 

The applicant or co-applicant may submit 

receipts that show they were responsible for 

major repairs, maintenance, or improvements 

(e.g., roof; HVAC; plumbing or other major utility 

Major repair receipts must be dated within five 

years prior to the disaster.
Fact Sheet - Update to FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide, Version 1.1

Learn more at fema.gov August 2021 7

Documentation to Verify Ownership 

Document and Description Acceptable Document Date 

repair or replacement such as water line, sewer, 

well, or septic; solar panels; major mitigation 

measures such as elevation; structural 

component repair or replacement) to the 

disaster-damaged residence address. 

Mobile Home Park Letter: In the case of mobile 

homes or travel trailers located in a mobile 

home park, the applicant or co-applicant may 

submit a letter or other written statement from 

the commercial or mobile park owner or 

manager, which states that the applicant or coapplicant owned the disaster-damaged dwelling 

at the time of the disaster. The letter or written 

statement must include the name and 

telephone number of the individual providing 

verification and must include how the individual 

knows the applicant or co-applicant owned the 

mobile home or travel trailer at the time of the 

disaster (i.e., they had a copy of their ownership 

documentation on file).

The commercial or mobile park owner’s or 

manager’s letter or written statement must be 

dated within the period of assistance.

Court Documents: If the applicant or coapplicant was previously or is currently in a 

legal dispute that is pertinent to the ownership 

of the disaster-damaged residence, the 

applicant may submit a copy of court 

documentation that states the applicant owned 

the disaster-damaged residence address.

Court documentation must be dated within one 

year prior to the disaster or within the period of 

assistance.

Public Official’s Letter: Public official’s (i.e., 

state, local, tribal, or territorial government 

official) letter or other written statement that 

includes the name of the applicant or coapplicant, the disaster-damaged residence 

address, that the applicant or co-applicant 

owned the disaster-damaged dwelling at the 

time of the disaster, and the name and 

Public official’s document must be dated within 

the period of assistance.
Fact Sheet - Update to FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide, Version 1.1

Learn more at fema.gov August 2021 8

Documentation to Verify Ownership 

Document and Description Acceptable Document Date 

telephone number of the individual providing 

verification. 

Additionally, FEMA may accept a written self-declarative statement as a last resort from survivors with 

heirship properties or those who own mobile homes or travel trailers and experience challenges with 

obtaining traditional forms of documentation. FEMA may also accept these statements as a last resort from 

applicants living in insular areas, islands, and tribal lands. Self-declarative statements may be written postdisaster but must be provided to FEMA in writing to be maintained in the applicant’s file.