Iowa Admin. Code r. 441-58.5 - Eligible categories of assistance

Expenses eligible for grant funding shall be limited to personal property, food assistance, home repair and temporary housing and shall not exceed a total of $5,000. Assistance is available under the program for the following disaster-related expenses:

(1) Personal property and food assistance may be issued for damage to personal property or food replacement. Eligible items for personal property assistance may include but are not limited to the following items, based on the item's condition:

a. Appliances or equipment, including:

(1) Small household appliances, including, but not limited to:

1. Toasters,

2. Blenders,

3. Microwaves,

4. Vacuums,

5. Dehumidifiers, and

6. Window air conditioners.

(2) Large household appliances, if the appliance is owned by the household and not a landlord.

(3) Outdoor equipment, including:

1. Lawn mowers, and

2. Snow blowers.

b. Food.

c. Personal hygiene items.

d. Basic household items, including but not limited to:

(1) Furnishings (e.g., tables, chairs, dressers, couches, end tables),

(2) Beds (e.g., mattresses, bedding),

(3) Curtains or window treatments,

(4) Car or booster seats,

(5) Strollers,

(6) Storage totes,

(7) Televisions,

(8) Laptop or desktop computers, and

(9) Area rugs.

e. Clothing.

f. Short-term transportation, such as bus passes.

g. Debris removal.

h. Vehicle repair or replacement, if a total loss has occurred.

i. Other personal property items, as determined by the department, in order to assist the household in making the dwelling or dwelling unit safe, sanitary, and secure.

(2) Home repair assistance may be issued for home repair for an owner-occupied dwelling or dwelling unit as needed to make the dwelling or dwelling unit safe, sanitary, and secure, up to a maximum of $5,000.

a. Assistance will be denied if preexisting conditions are the cause of the damage.

b. Repairs to rental dwellings or dwelling units or landlord-owned equipment are excluded under this program.

c. Assistance may be authorized for:

(1) The repair of structural components, such as the foundation and roof.

(2) The repair of floors, walls, ceilings, doors, windows, and carpeting of essential interior living space that was occupied at the time of the disaster.

(3) Mitigation measures.

(4) Debris removal, including trees.

(5) Bathroom, including toilet, sink, and tub/shower.

(6) Sump pump installation (in a flood event only).

(7) Electrical or mechanical repairs.

(8) Water heater.

(9) Heating systems.

(10) Air-conditioning systems.

(11) Water well repair for dwellings or dwelling units with no other source of water available.

(12) Water softener repair.

(3) Temporary housing assistance may be issued to a household for lodging at a licensed establishment, such as a hotel or motel. The household's home must be considered to be destroyed, uninhabitable, inaccessible, or unavailable to the household. Total temporary housing assistance may not exceed $5,000 and is included as part of disaster assistance.

Temporary housing assistance may also be granted for rental unit application fees, deposits, and first month's rent for a new dwelling.

(4) Replacement, repair, or provision of other items of necessity may be approved by the department on a case-by-case basis, up to a maximum of $5,000.

Notes

Iowa Admin. Code r. 441-58.5

ARC 9312B, IAB 12/29/10, effective 3/1/11; ARC 1353C, IAB 3/5/2014, effective 5/1/2014 Amended by IAB May 10, 2017/Volume XXXIX, Number 23, effective 7/1/2017 Amended by IAB February 8, 2023/Volume XLV, Number 16, effective 4/1/2023