People in Johnson and Linn County whose homes suffered damage during the derecho may be eligible for financial assistance through the Iowa Individual Disaster Assistance Grant Program (IIAGP).
The program, which is run by the Iowa Department of Human Services, reimburses individuals for home repair expenses, some of the cost of temporary housing and purchases of items needed to make a home habitable, if those expenses are not covered by insurance.
The program is open to all legal U.S. residents living in counties covered by a disaster proclamation issued by the governor. Since Monday, Gov. Reynolds has issued disaster proclamations covering more than 20 counties, including Johnson and Linn.
To qualify, the applicant’s maximum household income cannot exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL). The FPL varies according to the number of family members in a household.
Yearly income level equal to 200 percent of FPL by number of family members
1 member: $25,520
2 members: $34,480
3 members: $43,440
4 members: $52,400
5 members: $61,360
6 members: $70,320
7 members: $79,280
8 members: $88,240If there are more than eight family members, add $4,480 for each additional person.
A family may receive up to $5,000 through IIAGP. Applicants must provide proof of identity, and receipts for repair work and the items for which they are seeking reimbursement.
To be reimbursed for temporary housing expenses, the receipt must be in the applicant’s name. IIAGP “will cover up to $65 per day for 30 days of lodging at a licensed establishment such as a hotel or motel, if the household’s home is destroyed, uninhabitable, inaccessible, or unavailable to the household,” according to IDHS.
The program will also pay up to $50 for a single individual, and $25 per each additional family member, to replace food that was spoiled or destroyed.
IDHS lists as examples of personal property people can be reimbursed for “Kitchen items, personal hygiene, clothing, bedroom furnishing.”
The deadline for applying for a grant to cover derecho damage is Sept. 25, and applications are available online.
Applications can be turned into the nearest Community Action Agency. Hawkeye Area Community Action Program is the agency for both Johnson and Linn counties. HACAP has three offices in Johnson County, one in Coralville and two in Iowa City. In Linn County, it has offices in Hiawatha and Marion, as well as three offices in Cedar Rapids.
Johnson County
Coralridge FRC
2441 10th St.
Coralville, IA 52241
Phone: 319-393-7811 ext 1001
Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Iowa City FRC
318 E. Bloomington
Iowa City, IA 52245
Phone: 319-393-7811 ext 1001
Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Waterfront FRC
367 Soutgate Ave
Iowa City, IA 52240
Phone: 319-393-7811 ext 1001
Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.Linn County
Corporate
1515 Hawkeye Dr.
Hiawatha, IA 52233
Phone: 319-393-7811
Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Marion FRC
Suite 100
3405 7th Ave
Marion, IA 52302
Phone: 319-393-7811 ext 1001
Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.HACAP North Towne Site
2121 North Towne Lane NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Phone: 319-393-3368
Hours: M,T,W,TH, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.Inn Circle FRC
5560 6th St. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: 319-393-7811 ext 1001
Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.Urban FRC
1328 2nd Ave SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
Phone: 319-393-7811 ext 1001
Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m,
Applicants will receive written notice for IDHS informing them if they qualify for reimbursement and, if they do, the amount of the grant.
According to IDHS, “if a presidential disaster declaration for Individual Assistance is issued for a county for the same event, the state program is automatically canceled for that county, as the federal program then goes into effect. The federal program does not have an income restriction.”
The governor’s disaster proclamation also makes residents of Johnson and Linn affected by the derecho eligible for the Iowa Disaster Case Management program. The program is “a time limited resource and process that involves a partnership between a disaster case manager and a household impacted by a disaster to develop and carry out a Disaster Recovery Plan.”
Like the grant program, the case management program is administered in Johnson and Linn by HACAP. Anyone interested in the program should contact their nearest office.
