Federal Help for New York Nears Half a Billion Dollars Three Months After Ida

In the three months since Hurricane Ida struck New York, FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the National Flood Insurance Program have approved nearly half a billion dollars to help New Yorkers recover and rebuild.

Close to 36,000 New Yorkers from the Bronx, Brooklyn (Kings County), Queens, Staten Island (Richmond County), Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties have been approved for FEMA disaster assistance since the Sept. 5 major disaster declaration.

As of Dec. 8. FEMA approved $173.3 million for housing and other essential storm-related needs under the Individual Assistance program. Included in that total was $156.5 million approved for Housing Assistance and $16.7 million approved under FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program.

The Housing Assistance program provides financial assistance to eligible survivors for temporary housing, rental assistance, home repair and replacement. The Other Needs program provides financial assistance to eligible survivors for medical and dental expenses, childcare, moving and storage expenses, and other disaster-related necessary expenses and serious needs.

FEMA disaster grants are not considered taxable income. Accepting a FEMA grant does not affect an applicant’s Social Security benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other federal assistance programs.

In the last 90 days, the Small Business Administration has approved 3,676 home and business loans for a total of $177.7 million for Hurricane Ida survivors. SBA’s low-interest disaster loans are the largest source of federal disaster recovery assistance available to homeowners, renters, businesses and small nonprofits.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has paid more than $93.5 million to New Yorkers to close 2,753 claims for flood damage caused when Hurricane Ida struck New York Sept. 1-3.