The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published an interim final rule (IFR) that seeks to simplify processes, remove barriers to entry, and increase eligibility for certain types of assistance under their Individual Assistance program. These changes will help make it easier for people to receive the assistance they need after a disaster, which is especially important for people with disabilities and older adults, who are disproportionately affected during and after disasters due to accessibility needs.

Among other things, the interim rule:

• Increases eligibility for home repair assistance.
  • This includes allowing survivors with disabilities to use FEMA funding to make certain accessibility improvements to homes damaged by a declared disaster. This change helps survivors with disabilities improve their living conditions by making their homes even more accessible than they were pre-disaster.
• Makes improvements to program registration requirements.
• Simplifies the documentation requirements for continued temporary housing assistance.
• Simplifies the appeals process.
• Establishes additional eligible assistance for serious needs, displacement, disaster-damaged computing devices, and essential tools for self-employed individuals.

The IFR goes into effect on March 22. Comments can be submitted online until July 22. FEMA will then consider whether to make changes to the rule on the basis of comments received.