GoFundMe donations could impact FEMA assistance for wildfire victims
Thousands of wildfire victims have turned to GoFundMe and other crowdfunding sites to raise money to support themselves or loved ones impacted by the fires. However, those donations could limit monetary assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. However, it can only make funds available to cover costs not covered by other sources, such as insurance or donations like those that come from GoFundMe.
“GoFundMe can be a great way to cover immediate expenses, but it’s important to know that using it for certain purposes might affect your eligibility for FEMA,” a spokesperson said in a video posted to X. “For example, FEMA may be able to help you to replace a car destroyed during the disaster but if your GoFundMe clearly states that the funds raised will be used to replace your car, FEMA won’t be able to help for that specific need.”
“We know this can be frustrating, especially when you’re trying to manage so much, all at once. That’s why we encourage you to carefully consider how you describe your needs when creating a GoFundMe page.”
According to the agency’s website, by law, they can’t duplicate benefits victims receive from another source. However, they still encourage people impacted by the wildfires to apply for federal assistance.
Los Angeles County wildfire victims can apply for FEMA online or call the helpline at 800-621-3362 for assistance.
FEMA disaster recovery centers are open at:
- UCLA Research Park West: 10850 West Pico Blvd in Los Angeles
- Pasadena City College Community Education Center: 3035 East Foothill Blvd in Pasadena
The centers are open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., but affected residents do not need to go to a center to apply for assistance. The easiest way to apply for assistance is by applying online.