What does the March 2020 Federal Disaster Declaration mean for you?
Posted on: March 29, 2020
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On March 24, 2020, Louisiana became the fourth state to receive a federal disaster declaration to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. This declaration will help fund the state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in our state. The funding will also help the state, tribal and local governments, and certain nonprofit organization with emergency protective measures.
What kind of help does the Federal Disaster Declaration provide for individual residents in Louisiana?
The declaration will make federal funding available for “Crisis Counseling” for affected individuals in Louisiana.
What kinds of help does the Federal Disaster Declaration NOT provide?
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards requested disaster unemployment assistance and case management. However, to date, those requests have not been granted.
While the following kinds of help were provided after previous federal disaster declarations, they were NOT granted by the Federal Disaster Declaration in response to COVID-19 on March 24, 2020:
- Disaster Unemployment Benefits
- Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (food stamps)
- Rent Assistance
- Any other kinds of direct assistance to individual residents