Financial Aid — FEMA & SBA

SBA Disaster Loans

U.S. Small Business Administration · low-interest disaster recovery loans

The largest source of federal rebuilding money for most homeowners. Available to homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofits.

• Up to $500,000 for homeowners to repair/replace a primary residence
• Up to $100,000 for personal property (renters & homeowners)
• Rates as low as 2.563% for homeowners; terms up to 30 years
• No interest or payments until 12 months after first disbursement
• Application deadline (March 31, 2025) has passed; approved borrowers have 24 months from their loan authorization agreement to draw funds (SBA's final extension, announced July 1, 2026)

☎ 800-659-2955 · disastercustomerservice@sba.gov

The Honest Math: SBA Loans

It's the biggest federal tool for the rebuilding gap — and it's a loan with real disqualifiers, not aid

• It's debt you must qualify for. SBA underwrites like a lender: acceptable credit and demonstrated ability to repay. Retirees and fixed-income households are routinely denied or approved for far less than the $500,000 headline number.
• Primary residence only — as shown by the records. Second and vacation homes are ineligible by regulation. SBA verifies occupancy through records like tax returns, driver's licenses, and utility bills.
• The trust/LLC trap. Many Palisades homes are titled in trusts or LLCs for estate planning. A home owned by an LLC isn't a "home" to SBA — it's routed to the business-loan program or denied. A home in a trust can qualify, but if your address of record was elsewhere (mail, tax filings, licenses pointing to another location), SBA concludes it wasn't your primary residence and pays nothing — a result multiple Palisades owners have hit. If your title is in a trust or LLC, gather occupancy proof and talk to SBA (or your attorney) before counting on this money.
• SBA takes a lien. Loans over $25,000 are collateralized — typically against the property you're rebuilding.
• The application window has closed. The application deadline passed March 31, 2025, and it has not reopened. If you were approved, SBA's July 1, 2026 "final" extension gives you 24 months from your loan authorization agreement to draw the money — but if you never applied, or were denied and didn't appeal in time, there is no new door. Call before assuming either direction.

Bottom line: for a creditworthy owner-occupant whose paperwork matches the Palisades address, this was the best federal money available. For everyone else — entity-titled homes, mismatched records, thin credit — the honest answer is that the federal toolbox may hold nothing, and the gap gets closed by insurance appeals, private financing, or selling. See Real Estate before deciding.

FEMA Disaster Assistance

Federal Emergency Management Agency · DR-4856-CA

The initial Individual Assistance application deadline (March 31, 2025) has closed, but FEMA housing assistance continues for those already enrolled:

• Homeowners: housing assistance extended through July 9, 2027
• Renters: housing assistance runs only through October 9, 2026 — a looming deadline
• Check or appeal your application status anytime at DisasterAssistance.gov

☎ FEMA Helpline 800-621-3362

The Honest Math: FEMA and Insured Homeowners

Do not budget on FEMA to close an insurance shortfall

FEMA is a basic-needs program, not full rebuilding-gap coverage. For each assistance category, it compares insurance proceeds with FEMA-verified eligible loss. If insurance covers that eligible loss, the award is $0, even when your actual rebuilding bill is much larger. A settlement exceeding the statutory cap alone does not determine the result. For the January 2025 LA fires, the limits remain $43,600 for housing and $43,600 for other needs. Ask FEMA to review your settlement documents; an uncovered balance is not a promise of aid.

Keep expectations realistic: a large insurance shortfall can remain after FEMA's review. SBA loans involve debt, underwriting and closed application windows (above). Keep your FEMA case active for eligible uncovered needs.

California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)

State recovery programs & coordination

State-level disaster recovery resources that complement the federal programs, including updates on deadline extensions and state assistance.

CalAssist Mortgage Fund (State of California)

CalHFA · mortgage-payment grants for owners of destroyed or uninhabitable homes

The state program pays up to 12 months of mortgage payments (up to $100,000) directly to the lender for owners whose primary home was destroyed or made uninhabitable in the January 2025 fires; eligibility was broadened in February 2026. Grants, not loans. Call center: (800) 501-0019.

Multiple-property owners may now qualify: current program rules allow ownership of other residential or commercial properties, but assistance covers only the home that was your primary residence in the month before the disaster. Income, mortgage and property requirements still apply. Applications remain open while funds last.

Local Relief Funds & Nonprofits

Community grants & direct aid

Vetted organizations offering direct grants and aid to survivors — California Fire Foundation, GEM, and more (the LA County Relief Fund's household grant rounds closed in 2025).