Reps. Chu, Sherman, Sens. Schiff, Padilla Press FEMA Again to Prevent Shutdown of Critical Wildfire Recovery Program

September 24, 2026 Press Release Lawmakers demand FEMA reverse denial of additional funding as September 30 shutdown looms WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Rep. Brad Sherman (CA-32), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) sent a follow-up letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Cameron Hamilton demanding immediate action to stop the Disaster Case Management Program (DCMP) serving survivors of the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades Fires from shutting down on September 30. The letter follows the lawmakers’ September 10 demand that FEMA immediately release millions of dollars in outstanding DCMP funding, a demand that has gone unanswered. On September 11, FEMA Region 9 denied California’s request for an additional $6.57 million needed to sustain the program, a decision the State has since appealed. The lawmakers are urging FEMA to grant the appeal, release the outstanding previously approved funding, and ensure there is no interruption in services. “FEMA approved this program because survivors needed sustained case management throughout a long and difficult recovery. Yet FEMA’s own funding delays now threaten to force the program to shut down months before the end of that approved period,” the lawmakers wrote. FEMA approved DCMP to operate for 24 months, but has released only approximately $3 million of the roughly $13 million approved for the program, with three remaining installments still under review. Meanwhile, the need for case management remains significant: DCMP providers report more than 3,000 survivors have been served, including 1,288 active cases and 84 survivors on an immediate waitlist. Of the active caseload, 1,023 cases are categorized at the highest complexity levels. The September 30 shutdown also lands just days before FEMA Rental Assistance for Los Angeles wildfire survivors is scheduled to expire on October 9. As of September 17, 801 households were receiving rental assistance, including 623 renter households, with another 329 applications pending. “Allowing DCMP to terminate on September 30, immediately before this separate housing assistance cliff, risks leaving survivors without trained case managers precisely when many may need additional help navigating housing challenges and other unmet recovery needs,” the lawmakers wrote. The lawmakers are calling on FEMA to immediately grant California’s appeal and approve the additional $6.57 million needed to sustain DCMP through its approved period, release the remaining installments of the existing award, and take all available steps to prevent an interruption in services. “More than 20 months after the Eaton and Palisades Fires devastated our communities, thousands of survivors remain in the midst of rebuilding their homes and their lives,” the lawmakers wrote. “It would be unacceptable for that program to collapse prematurely not because the need has disappeared, but because FEMA has failed to release already-approved funding and denied the additional resources necessary to keep it operating.” The lawmakers requested answers from FEMA by September 28 on the outstanding funding and what immediate steps the agency will take to prevent DCMP services from ending on September 30. Read the lawmakers’ September 10 letter HERE . Read the full September 24 letter HERE and below. ---- The Honorable Cameron Hamilton Administrator Federal Emergency Management Agency 500 C Street SW Washington, DC 20472 Dear Administrator Hamilton, We write in strong support of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services’ (CalOES) appeal of FEMA Region 9’s September 11, 2026, denial of $6,568,265.60 in additional funding for the Disaster Case Management Program (DCMP) serving survivors of the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades Fires in Los Angeles County. Without immediate action from FEMA, DCMP operations will be forced to terminate prematurely on September 30, 2026, leaving thousands of wildfire survivors without critical rebuilding and recovery support. As we indicated in our September 10, 2026, letter, which has not received a response, additional federal funding is urgently needed to ensure DCMP can operate through the 24-month timeframe FEMA approved on May 5, 2025. FEMA approved this program because survivors needed sustained case management throughout a long and difficult recovery. Yet FEMA’s own funding delays now threaten to force the program to shut down months before the end of that approved period. On September 11, 2026, FEMA denied the State’s request for additional funding, stating the State had not provided sufficient cost justification demonstrating a need for funding beyond the original FEMA-approved award. But FEMA has not even provided the full amount of that original award. Of the approximately $13 million approved by FEMA, only one installment of approximately $3 million has been released to date, while the remaining three installments are still under FEMA’s review. The State’s supplemental funding request is not an effort to unnecessarily expand DCMP. It reflects the documented cost of continuing to provide services through the timeframe FEMA already approved. FEMA should not allow its own delays in releasing approved funding to prematurely terminate a program it determined was necessary for this recovery. The continued need for DCMP is clear. According to DCMP providers, more than 3,000 survivors have already been served by the program, including 1,288 active cases and 84 survivors on an immediate waitlist. Of the active caseload, 1,023 cases are categorized at the highest complexity levels. And a broader provider database indicates that 7,000 additional survivors are awaiting assignment to a case manager. These numbers demonstrate that the need for case management has not diminished. Thousands of survivors remain in the middle of their recovery and thousands more are still waiting for assistance. That need could become even more acute in the coming weeks. FEMA Rental Assistance for Los Angeles wildfire survivors is currently scheduled to expire on October 9, just days after DCMP is scheduled to terminate. As of September 17, 801 households were receiving rental assistance, including 623 renter households, with another 329 applications pending. Allowing DCMP to terminate on September 30, immediately before this separate housing assistance cliff, risks leaving survivors without trained case managers precisely when many may need additional help navigating housing challenges and other unmet recovery needs. We therefore urge FEMA to immediately grant the State’s appeal and approve the additional $6,568,265.60 necessary to sustain DCMP through its approved period. We further urge FEMA to immediately release the remaining installments of the existing DCMP award and take all available administrative steps necessary to ensure there is no interruption in DCMP services while the State’s appeal and outstanding funding installments are under review. Given the impending September 30, 2026, termination of this program, we request responses to the following questions no later than September 28, 2026: 1. FEMA stated in its denial that the State did not demonstrate the need for additional funding beyond the program’s initial scope and award. What specific additional documentation or cost justification does FEMA require to approve the State’s supplemental funding request? 2. How did FEMA determine that the State had not demonstrated a need for additional funding when less than one-quarter of the approximately $13 million FEMA already approved has actually been released? 3. What is the expected timeframe for FEMA to complete its review and release the second, third, and fourth installments of the existing DCMP award? 4. In its denial of the supplemental funding request, FEMA stated that these installments were delayed in part because non-disaster program grants were prioritized due to deadlines that could have “placed funding at risk.” Given that DCMP itself is now at risk of prematurely terminating because of a lack of funding, what steps is FEMA taking to expedite review and release of these outstanding funds? 5. What immediate steps will FEMA take to ensure there is no interruption in DCMP services on September 30 while the State’s appeal and the remaining installments of the existing award are under review? More than 20 months after the Eaton and Palisades Fires devastated our communities, thousands of survivors remain in the midst of rebuilding their homes and their lives. FEMA approved DCMP to support survivors through this lengthy recovery. It would be unacceptable for that program to collapse prematurely not because the need has disappeared, but because FEMA has failed to release already-approved funding and denied the additional resources necessary to keep it operating. We urge FEMA to act immediately to grant the State’s appeal, release the outstanding funds, and ensure there is no interruption in services for the thousands of survivors who depend on DCMP. Issues : Congress