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Does The Government Help Pay To Rebuild Homes Burned Down By Wildfires? Barely.

  •  Ben Adler 
Monday, July 30, 2018 | Sacramento, CA | Permalink
Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

A home destroyed by the Carr Fire in Redding.

Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

As California lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown debate who should pay for the billions of dollars in wildfire damages, residents might wonder how much government help is available to rebuild their homes.

The answer? Not much.

When the president approves a Major Disaster Declaration for a California wildfire — and federal funding starts flowing into the state — there are two kinds of help.

There is public assistance, to fight the fire and rebuild public roads and buildings. And sometimes there is also individual assistance.

“That money that’s available to individuals is limited, because it’s a federal grant program and we definitely cannot make people whole,” says Brandi Richard with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The maximum available assistance for an individual from a FEMA grant? Approximately $32,000. And there are no state grants, according to the California Office of Emergency Services.

You can spend the federal individual assistance money to repair or replace a damaged or destroyed home, vehicle or other property, or it can go toward short-term living expenses until you can return home, such as a hotel room or apartment rental.

But even that has a catch: FEMA individual grants can only be used for a purpose not already covered by another government agency or your insurance.

“Let’s say your home was damaged and you’re receiving assistance to repair your home for the same damages that we’ve given you money for, we can’t do that,” Richard says. “That’s not a good use of taxpayer dollars.”

On Friday, Gov. Jerry Brown requested a Presidential Emergency Declaration for Direct Federal Assistance to help the state battle the deadly Carr Fire near Redding. President Trump and FEMA granted that request on Saturday.

“This federal assistance includes air assets to mitigate the impacts of this fire, shelter supplies and water for evacuated residents, and support with mass care, ambulatory transport and the evacuation of individuals with access and functional needs as well as large animals,” Brown’s office said in a press release.

A request for individual assistance from the federal government was not included but could come later.

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    More about wildfire

  • Noah Berger / AP

    California Wildfires: Latest Updates

    Capital Public Radio provides the latest information and updates on wildfires hitting the state, and resources for listeners to help prepare, follow and respond to fire.

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  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    How You Can Help Victims Of The Carr Fire

    Wednesday, August 1, 2018
    Tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes in Shasta County due to the Carr Fire burning near Redding. Here’s what you can do to help them.
  • Bert Johnson / Capital Public Radio

    Hope Grows As Deadly Carr Fire Slows Down

    Sunday, July 29, 2018
    Fire officials say crews have stopped some of the growth of the Shasta County blaze that has killed six people and destroyed more than 500 buildings.
  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    Who Should Pay For California’s Wildfire Damages? Gov. Jerry Brown, Lawmakers Debate Multibillion-Dollar Liabilities.

    Tuesday, July 24, 2018
    As wildfires increasingly scorch California year-after-year, state lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown are debating who should be liable.

 wildfire

Ben Adler

Capitol Bureau Chief

Capitol Bureau Chief Ben Adler first became a public radio listener in the car on his way to preschool – though not necessarily by choice. Now, he leads Capital Public Radio’s state Capitol coverage, which airs on NPR stations across California.  Read Full Bio 

 @adlerben Email Ben Adler

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