Disaster Grants Program

LSC's Disaster Grants program provides funding to LSC-funded organizations providing services to survivors of government-declared emergencies and coordinating preparation efforts for future natural disasters.

Mission

The LSC Disaster Grants Program provides funding and support to LSC-funded legal aid organizations, enabling them to help low-income disaster survivors access essential legal services. The program educates survivors, legal aid organizations, and the disaster community about available disaster legal services. Additionally, it provides crucial disaster preparation and response information to survivors, organizations, and legal advocates.

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Overview

Legal services providers are a critical component of comprehensive disaster relief, offering vital support to survivors long after other responders have departed. LSC's 2022 Justice Gap report revealed low-income Americans did not receive any or enough legal help for 92% of their civil legal problems.

As the leading funder of civil legal aid for low-income disaster survivors in the United States, LSC plays a unique and vital role in ensuring access to justice in the wake of disasters. LSC ensures legal aid organizations across the country to address a wide range of legal challenges for survivors, including housing issues, insurance claims, FEMA appeals, and document replacement.

LSC's approach to disaster legal aid has evolved significantly, encompassing preparedness, immediate response, and long-term recovery. LSC broad work to address the justice gap includes continuing to adapt to meet the changing needs of low-income disaster survivors, addressing challenges such as reaching rural and remote areas, supporting survivors with disabilities, and addressing employment obstacles in disaster-impacted communities.

As natural disasters become more frequent and severe, LSC's role in coordinating and supporting legal aid efforts remains crucial. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders and providing essential resources, LSC ensures that Americans receive the legal assistance they need before, during, and long after disasters strike.

Grant Types

Disaster Relief Emergency Grants (DREG)
Disaster Supplemental Appropriation Project Grants
Disaster Supplemental Appropriation Incurred Costs Grants
The Midwest Legal Aid Disaster Coordination Project (MLDCP)

Disaster Relief Emergency Grants provides funds as needed to LSC grantees in areas with government-declared emergencies. Those funds are for responses to damage sustained or a surge in demand for legal aid because of the emergency.

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Disaster Supplemental Appropriation Project Grants fund civil legal aid activities and other necessary expenses in response to natural disasters that occur within a timeframe specified by Congress, typically one or two calendar years. Projects usually last 24 to 36 months, enabling LSC grantees to develop comprehensive strategies for addressing the complex legal needs that emerge in the aftermath of disasters.

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Disaster Supplemental Appropriation Incurred Costs Grants reimburse eligible LSC grantees for expenses already incurred in response to natural disasters that occurred within timeframes specified by Congressc, generally one to two calendar years. Eligible costs are expenses incurred from the date of the disaster until the start of a Disaster Supplemental Appropriation Project Grant. These grants allow LSC grantees to recover resources mobilized for immediate and ongoing disaster response and recovery efforts, enhancing their ability to address disaster-related legal needs for low-income residents in their communities quickly.

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The Midwest Legal Aid Disaster Coordination Project (MLDCP) is a disaster resiliency initiative supporting LSC Basic Field grantees across ten Midwest states, aiming to enhance preparedness in low-income communities and strengthen disaster legal aid response capabilities in the region. The project offers project grants and mentorship grants while fostering collaboration among LSC grantees, volunteer attorneys, and disaster response organizations.

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Resources

Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center

The Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center is a national website designed to help legal aid and other service organizations more effectively meet the civil legal needs of disaster survivors. The website serves as a one-stop resource for disaster training materials and expertise, offering practical tools, resources, and a nationwide knowledge bank to assist attorneys, volunteers, and disaster survivors in responding to and recovering from disasters across the country.

Heartland Disaster Help

Heartland Disaster Help is a comprehensive online resource providing real-time disaster risk assessment and recovery guidance for residents in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. The website offers localized information on floods, windstorms, extreme heat, and wildfires, including preparation tips, recovery recommendations, and local aid organization directories, while also providing valuable content applicable nationwide.

LSC Disaster Task Force Report

The LSC Disaster Task Force Report provides comprehensive guidance on strengthening legal aid response systems for disaster-affected communities, with recommendations focusing on integrating legal services into emergency management, training providers, and improving disaster preparedness for vulnerable populations. Created through extensive field research and stakeholder input, this resource outlines concrete steps for legal services providers to build sustainable approaches in helping low-income individuals and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the U.S. government agency responsible for coordinating the response to disasters that overwhelm local and state resources. FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation to reduce the loss of life and property and protect communities nationwide from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD or NVOAD) is a coalition of major U.S. voluntary organizations dedicated to disaster-related work, providing skilled services across the full spectrum of disaster management from prevention to recovery. National VOAD coordinates and facilitates collaboration among its member agencies to ensure comprehensive and efficient disaster response and recovery efforts.

ABA Disaster Relief

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness is a specialized body focused on addressing legal challenges arising from disasters. The committee works to equip legal professionals and the public with critical resources, promoting awareness, preparedness, and resilience in disaster-related legal matters across the United States.

"The recovery process does not end in the weeks immediately following the disaster. Instead, it may extend for many years, and community organizations may be faced with aiding survivors with long-term issues including contractor fraud, insurance and benefits issues, title disputes, social service eligibility disputes, replacement of significant documents, and housing issues such as evictions and foreclosures."

Disaster Task Force Report

COVID-19 Disaster Grant Disasters Grant Program