Storm Survivors May Be Eligible for Lodging Reimbursement
DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowans who have registered with FEMA may be eligible for reimbursement if they paid out-of-pocket expenses for temporary lodging because their primary residences had sustained damage from the August 10 storm.
Temporary lodging includes hotels, motels, or other short-term lodging while an applicant is displaced from his or her primary residence.
Lodging expenses may be eligible for reimbursement if an applicant:
- Registers with FEMA.
- Passes identity verification.
- Verifies occupancy in a primary residence within a designated county.
- Verifies that the primary residence is uninhabitable or inaccessible.
- Incurs disaster-related temporary lodging expenses.
- Does not have insurance that would cover lodging.
- Did not receive lodging assistance during the same timeframe.
Reimbursement funds are available for eligible applicants under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program. Survivors who are approved for lodging reimbursement must submit hotel/motel receipts that show a zero balance to FEMA to receive payment. Reimbursement will not cover incidental costs such as phone calls, laundry, internet, food, movies or pet care.
The 11 counties designated for FEMA Individual Assistance are: Benton, Boone, Cedar, Jasper, Linn, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story and Tama.
Applicants may register in the following ways:
- Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Download the FEMA Mobile App for smartphones.
- Call 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Central Time, seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
# # #
For more information on the Iowa disaster and a variety of recovery resources, log on to: iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs and www.disasterrecovery.iowa.gov.
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
