Inequity after death: Exploring the equitable utilization of FEMA 's COVID ‐19 funeral assistance funds
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: As of March 2021, the United States had nearly 1 million COVID-19 deaths. To aid families, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) established the Funeral Assistance Program. Using publicly available data, we examine the equitable utilization of FEMA's COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program funding. Results show a significant relationship between FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program funding and some, but not all, social vulnerability components. Specifically, counties with higher percentages of the population with disabilities and higher percentages of minorities receive lower amounts of funding per 100,000 residents. These findings suggest that FEMA's equity efforts are not fully materializing regarding the utilization of the FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program funding among socially vulnerable groups. FEMA should broaden its social equity outreach and priorities for those not traditionally considered in social equity discussions, such as people with disabilities while continuing efforts toward traditional social equity.
Source: Public Administration Review
DOI: 10.1111/puar.13572
Institution: University of Central Florida
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4307811642