Overview
The Disaster Recovery Assistance Program helps Pennsylvanians who have survived disasters and have no other way to recover. The program provides grants to households that can be used to:
🛠 Make home repairs
🏡 Pay for temporary housing
👚 Replace certain personal items
Current Status
The Disaster Recovery Assistance Program is not currently active for any disasters.
Am I Eligible?
Eligible residents must:
- Live in a municipality that has declared a disaster.
- Have first been denied a Small Business Administration loan, unless they receive income-based government benefits (such as SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF).
Eligibility is income-based. Use the chart below to determine if you are eligible to apply.
Eligibility is income-based. Use the chart below to determine if you are eligible to apply.
| Family Size | Income |
| 1 | $72,900 |
| 2 | $98,600 |
| 3 | $124,300 |
| 4 | $150,000 |
| 5 | $175,700 |
| 6 | $201,400 |
| 7 | $227,100 |
| 8 | $252,800 |
| Each additional person | Add $25,700 |
What's Covered?
Get help paying for losses that were a direct result of the disaster. Covered losses fit into one of three categories:
Receive money to put toward remediations or repairs in your residence:
🚪 Entrances or exits ways from the home to ensure safe access (doesn't include improvements to entrance and exit ways)
🧹 Disaster-related debris removal that causes a threat to health, safety, or access to the residence
🏚 Structural damage to the home
🏘 Windows, doors, floors, walls, ceilings, or cabinetry
🚽 Septic or sewage systems
💧 Well or other water systems
♨ Heating, ventilation, or air conditioning systems
💡 Utilities, including electrical, plumbing, and gas
📏 Blocking, leveling, and anchoring a mobile home, and reconnecting or resetting its sewer, water, electrical, and fuel lines and tanks
🔍 Permitting and inspection
Receive up to $10,000 for remediations or repairs.
Covers up to 60 days' lodging at a licensed establishment.
Temporary housing is covered if your household is destroyed, uninhabitable, inaccessible, or unavailable due to a disaster.
Rooms must be booked with at least two members of the household staying in each room, where possible.
Receive up to $5,000 for temporary housing.
Covered items include, but are not limited to:
👚 Clothing
🛋 Furniture
🍳 Kitchen Items
🛌 Mattresses/Bed Frames
Non-essential items are not covered and include items like:
⚾ Hobby Collections (Baseball Cards, Stamps, Etc.)
📻 Stereos
🎮Video Games
Receive up to $5,000 to replace essential items.
How to Apply
If you don't yet have one, you'll need to register for a Keystone Login through the commonwealth. Then, you can apply online. Expand the "Application Walkthrough" section for instructions.
1. Proof of residency
Choose one:
- 🚘 Driver's license
- 📜 Lease agreement
- 🏡 Mortgage document
- 💰 Tax records
- 💡 Utility bill
2. Proof of income
Choose one:
- 🩺 Medicaid card
- 💼 Paystubs for all household members (for 3 months from the last year)
- 💰 Tax records
3. Photos of damage claimed
4. Receipts for requested reimbursements
5. Two quotes for remediation or repair work
6. Canceled check (No bank account? Let your case manager know when you're notified about the decision on your application.)
7. Copies of home/renter's insurance declaration page and car insurance declaration page (if seeking help for damaged vehicle)
8. Proof of loan request denial from the Small Business Administration, if your household does not receive income-based government benefits (For Example: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid.)
Let's break the application process down into steps. [Application Walkthrough (PDF)]
🔒 1. Get a Keystone Login.
Keystone Logins are used across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for all kinds of services. You may already have one. If you don't, registering is easy. Get your login.
▶ 2. Begin your application online. Go to the Single Application for Assistance.
📃 3. Name your project using your last name. Select "no" to both dropdown options.
🔽 4. Under "Program Name," type in "DRAP." Keep "sort by>program name" selected. Click "search."
⏬ 5. Scroll down to search results and apply to the disaster that affected you.
6. Confirm requirements:
👍 Ensure that your property is in the affected county
🏡 Verify that the property is your primary residence
💰 Verify that you meet income requirements
7. Enter basic info:
🙋♂️ First + last name
🔢 Social Security Number
🤳 Phone number
📨 Email address
📮 Mailing address
🏡 8. Enter the full address of the property that was damaged.
🆗 9. Click continue. Don't worry about Application Page 4.
📎 10. Application Addenda: We'll need you to attach some additional info.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about the Disaster Recovery Assistance Program? We're here to help! Find answers to common questions below.
It's a state program designed to provide relief to households that suffer certain losses due to a disaster, and have no other ability to recover.
The program will only cover certain losses that are otherwise not covered by insurance, a nonprofit, or other government entity.
We'll announce when the program is activated for a particular disaster.
For the program to activate, three criteria must be met after a disaster:
- There's no Presidential disaster declaration
- The Small Business Administration issues a physical disaster declaration
- The governor determines that the program should be activated
Eligibility is determined by annual household income.
Households that earn below 500% of National Federal Poverty Guidelines may be eligible for the Disaster Recovery Assistance Program.
However, funds are limited, so all applicants who do not receive income-based government benefits must first apply for and be denied a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
An individual or group living together at one mailing address. If multiple families live at one mailing address, that is considered one household.
The combined, gross income of all members of the household in the previous calendar year.
Gross pay = before taxes, benefits and other payroll deductions are withheld from wages.
They're low-interest loans offered by the federal government, made available to disaster survivors to help them recover.
Yes. We know it can sound confusing, but the Small Business Administration offers loans for individuals, too.
Households with higher incomes must first see if they can get federal help through the Small Business Administration because our program is a state program with limited funds. It is for people who cannot get help anywhere else.
The program provides up to $10,000 to eligible recipients for covered losses. Losses must be a direct result of the disaster.
Assistance can cover remediation, replacement, and repair to pre-disaster condition. It does not cover improvements.
Covered losses fall into one of three categories: home remediation, temporary housing, or essential personal property.
A Keystone Login is a username and password that helps you access a variety services from the Pennsylvania government.
