Home Return to Table of Contents: Sources of Financial Assistance for Historic Preservation Projects Federal Financial Assistance for Historic Preservation Projects—Disaster Response

Disasters, natural and otherwise, can be devastating to historic properties. The following list of Federal disaster relief programs focuses on those that can provide financial assistance for structural rehabilitation after a disaster or proactive efforts to reduce or prevent future potential damage.

Emergency Conservation Program
Federal Agency: Farm Service Agency
Recipients: Agricultural producers
www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/disaster/ecp.htm

This program provides funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters. Restoring structures is among the eligible activities.

Emergency Loan Assistance
Federal Agency: Farm Service Agency
Recipients: Agricultural producers
www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/disaster/emloan.htm

Loans are available to help farmers and ranchers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding, and other natural disasters.

Public Assistance Grants
Federal Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Recipients: States; local governments; Indian tribes; certain nonprofit organizations
www.fema.gov/rrr/pa/

Grants can be used for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain private non-profit organizations.

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
Federal Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Recipients: States; Indian tribes; local governments; public entities; private nonprofit organizations
www.fema.gov/fima/hmgp/

Project grants to reduce or eliminate future damage from natural hazards can be used for elevating, relocating, or retrofitting structures, including seismic retrofitting.

Flood Mitigation Assistance Program
Federal Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Recipients: States; local governments
www.fema.gov/fima/fma.shtm

Project grants to reduce or eliminate future flood damage can be used for elevating, relocating, or other retrofitting of structures.

Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program
Federal Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Recipients: States; Indian tribes
www.fema.gov/fima/pdm.shtm

Project grants to reduce or eliminate future damage from disasters can be used for relocating or retrofitting structures.

Disaster Housing Program
Federal Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Recipients: Individuals
www.fema.gov/rrr/inassist.shtm

Minor, but necessary, disaster-related repairs to housing can be funded through this program.

Federal Assistance to Individuals and Households
Federal Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Recipients: Individuals
www.fema.gov/rrr/inassist.shtm

Loans under this program can be used to repair housing damaged by disasters.

Disaster Assistance Loans for Homes & Personal Property
Federal Agency: Small Business Administration
Recipients: Individuals
www.sba.gov/gopher/Disaster/homeall.txt

A homeowner may apply for a loan of up to $200,000 to repair or restore his or her primary home to its pre-disaster condition.

Physical Disaster Business Loans
Federal Agency: Small Business Administration
Recipients: Individuals
www.sba.gov/gopher/Disaster/pdball.txt

Businesses may apply for loans to repair or restore their real property to its pre-disaster condition.

Rural Housing Direct Loans and Guaranteed Loans (Section 502 Loans)
Federal Agency: Rural Housing Service
Recipients: Low- and very low-income individuals
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/sfh/brief_rhdirect.htm
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/sfh/brief_rhguar.htm

In response to specific natural disasters, Congress may appropriate funds to be dispersed through this housing program. In such cases, funds are available to rehabilitate dwellings in rural areas that are damaged by a natural disaster.

Rural Housing Repair and Rehabilitation Grants and Loans (Section 504 Grants and Loans)
Federal Agency: Rural Housing Service
Recipients: Very low-income homeowners over 62 years of age
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/sfh/brief_repairloan.htm
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/sfh/brief_repairgrant.htm

In response to specific natural disasters, Congress may appropriate funds to be dispersed through this housing program. In such cases, funds are available to rehabilitate dwellings in rural areas that are damaged by a natural disaster.

Updated June 16, 2005

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