FEMA Disaster Aid Equity: New Policies and Direct County Access
This act aims to ensure that federal disaster assistance is fair and accessible to all, especially underserved communities. It introduces new data collection and evaluation criteria to ensure aid reaches those most in need. Additionally, counties gain the ability to directly request emergency assistance if state authorities do not apply.
Key points
FEMA will collect more data to ensure disaster assistance is equitable and reaches all those in need, including communities that previously faced barriers.
A new equity advisor position and a steering group will be established within FEMA to ensure the agency's policies and programs are fair.
Counties affected by disasters will be able to directly request federal emergency assistance if their state government does not submit a request or include them.
When evaluating county aid requests, factors like poverty rates, economic conditions, social vulnerability indexes, and access to federal benefits will be considered to better support the most vulnerable.
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