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SBP's FEMA Appeals Program helps disaster survivors access more funding to support their immediate and long-term needs. If you applied to FEMA and are wondering if you can appeal your award, the answer is yes. You qualify for an appeal if you:

• Applied for FEMA assistance and received an initial award or response letter.
• Were denied an SBA loan, are still awaiting a response from SBA, or we’re not requested by FEMA to apply for a loan.
• Did not have homeowners/flood insurance, or your coverage was less than $36,000.
• Owned and occupied your home at the time of the disaster. Renters can qualify for appeals as well.

FEMA Help Hotline: (800) 276-9511

Watch the videos below on navigating the FEMA and/or insurance claims process. Then fill out the Get Help form above to be contacted by a member of SBP's client services team, who will help walk you through the process.

Free Guides and Resources

These guides will help you file for FEMA and Appeal your decision to maximize your FEMA benefits and jumpstart your recovery.

• Disaster Assistance Overview
• Disaster Assistance Overview (Spanish)
• FEMA Home Repairs Appeal template (non-specific)
• FEMA Statement of No Insurance template
• FEMA Personal Properties Appeal template

In the face of increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events, time and predictability matter. FEMA funding is a critical component of long-term recovery for impacted homeowners and renters; however, the process to apply for and appeal FEMA awards has become increasingly burdensome and complicated over the years. In fact, FEMA's own advisory council released a 2020 report showing major problems in the way FEMA assesses damages and makes payouts, and how this process is detrimental to the ever-growing racial wealth gap. A joint study between Rice University and the University of Pittsburgh indicates “that, holding disaster costs constant, the more FEMA money a county receives, the more whites’ wealth tends to grow and the more blacks’ wealth tends to decline, all else equal.”

Results of SBP's FEMA Appeals Program

• Survivors see a 65.7% increase in their total FEMA award.
• Survivors are awarded $7,991.83 in additional FEMA funds to support their recovery.