By Webster, Elizabeth M.

From the document: "After the President issues an emergency or major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may provide three primary forms of disaster assistance: Individual Assistance (IA), Public Assistance (PA), and Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA). IA provides aid to affected individuals and households, and can take the form of assistance for housing and/or other needs through the Individuals and Households Program (IHP). [...] The IHP is the focus of this report. It is the only form of IA, and the only FEMA assistance authorized pursuant to an emergency or major disaster declaration, that provides grants of financial assistance directly to individuals and households to support their disaster recovery by helping address housing and other needs (FEMA may also provide direct assistance for housing under the IHP). This report begins with an overview of the IHP, including the categories and types of IHP assistance that may be made available, selected considerations or limitations associated with each type of assistance, and selected legislative and program updates. This report then outlines the process for requesting and authorizing IA, including the factors that FEMA considers when evaluating a governor or chief executive's request for a major disaster declaration authorizing IA [...]. [...] This report concludes by describing some of the IHP's general program limitations, as well as selected challenges and considerations that may be of interest to Congress, including related to increasing transparency in IA declaration decisions, expanding access to IHP spending data, and ensuring IHP assistance can meet the needs of future disaster survivors."

Library Of Congress. Congressional Research Service. 2023. 73p.

By Bryant-Bertail, Jessica; Congdon, Tara; Dunn, Kaitlin; Long, Drew; Sendejas, Ray; Sun, Roxanna T.

From the document: "The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report regularly on the public health and economic effects of the pandemic and the federal response. We have issued 10 comprehensive reports examining the federal government's continued efforts to respond to, and recover from, the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we have issued over 200 standalone reports, testimonies, and science and technology spotlights focused on different aspects of the pandemic. This report includes several key data updates and five enclosures that summarize and highlight standalone reports issued from April 2022 (the date of our last comprehensive report) through April 2023 on the following topics: 'public health preparedness, improper payments and fraud, vulnerable populations, distribution of federal COVID-19 funding,' and 'COVID-19 and the economy.' This report is based on work we previously conducted in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards or our quality assurance framework. More detailed information on our scope and methodology can be found in the reports cited in the enclosures."

United States. Government Accountability Office. 2023.