April 3, 2009

Compendium of Disaster Assistance Programs

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), through the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) has developed an inventory of federal programs that provide assistance to individuals, states, localities, nonprofit organizations, and businesses impacted by a disaster. Federal agencies provide both financial and non-financial support in response to these declared disasters. These programs provide assistance to individuals, states, localities, non-profit organizations, and businesses. Congress provides the funding for these programs through annual federal appropriations or through supplemental appropriations. Available funds flow directly from the federal government to disaster victims or businesses, or the federal government may issue the funds to the state, localities, or a nonprofit organization that then distributes it to disaster victims or businesses. This article was developed by surveying the federal Inspector General community as a means to identify all financial and non-financial assistance provided by each agency in support of a disaster.