--- title: "If None Apply, Skip This Question" canonical: "https://anchor.is/docket/issue/41/futures/article/31302/if-none-apply-skip-this-question" publication: "The Docket" publisher: "The Docket" language: "en-US" guide: "https://anchor.is/docket/llms.txt" author: "Yuki Tanabe" author_url: "https://anchor.is/docket/team/33" issue: 41 section: "futures" section_name: "Future Tense" published: 2026-07-16 updated: 2026-07-17 word_count: 301 source_links: 2 --- # If None Apply, Skip This Question *By [Yuki Tanabe]()* *July 16, 2026* [Read on the website]() The screen asks: *As a result of this disaster, do you need assistance in any of the following categories?* She clicks Other Needs Assistance. The subcategories open: Personal Property. Transportation. Funeral. Medical and Dental. Child Care. Miscellaneous Items. Personal Property: appliances, room furnishings, a personal or family computer. Her grandmother's regalia was in the hall closet. The hall closet is silt. She clicks Personal Property, unclicks it. Clicks it again. The help text: *Describe the damage. Include the type of disaster and the type of home or vehicle.* Miscellaneous Items: generator, dehumidifier, chainsaw. *Are you or a member of your household enrolled in a federally recognized American Indian Tribe or Alaska Native Tribe?* Yes. The same categories return. Her shoulders settle a quarter inch lower. She finds the open text field. Her fingers rest on the keys, warm from the laptop's heat. She types *regalia.* The word sits against white. She deletes it. Types *items.* At the bottom of the screen, gray text: *Your questionnaire results will not be saved when you close this window.* Her hand stays on the mouse. **What FEMA Individual Assistance [recognizes](https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/housing) as loss:** - Home repair to safe, sanitary condition - Rental assistance, temporary housing - Appliances, room furnishings, a computer - Vehicle repair or replacement - Funeral expenses - Medical/dental injury or illness - Prescribed medication, service animal - Child care (new or increased) - Generator, dehumidifier, chainsaw - Moving and storage **Maximum award:** $43,600 housing + $43,600 other needs **"Other" in the system:** Serves [cost estimation methodology](https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_hmgp-acquisition-demolition-application-instructions.pdf), a pricing category, not a loss category **The tribal enrollment question:** Routes applicants to a different declaration track. The dropdown menus stay the same. **From the portal's own disclaimer:** *"IHP assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster."* ## More - [Future Tense — Issue 41]() - [Issue 41]() - [Publication guide]()