fema-mcp-server

Get FEMA Housing Assistance Data

fema_get_housing_assistance

Read-only

Retrieve Individual Assistance (IA) housing data for a disaster by disaster number. Returns owner and/or renter breakdowns by county and ZIP code — valid registrations, total approved IHP amounts, repair/rental amounts, and inspection data. Use type to select owners, renters, or both (default). Use disaster_number from fema_search_disasters.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`type`	No	Which housing assistance dataset to query: owners, renters, or both (default).	both
`limit`	No	Maximum records per dataset to return (default 100).
`state`	No	Two-letter state code to narrow results when a disaster spans multiple states.
`offset`	No	Pagination offset (default 0).
`disaster_number`	Yes	FEMA disaster number. Obtain from fema_search_disasters. Numbers above 32767 match no declaration.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`notice`	No	Paging guidance when offset is at or past the end of a queried dataset — names its total and last valid offset.
`owners`	No	Homeowner (HousingAssistanceOwners) records. Empty when type is "renters" or no owner data exists.
`renters`	No	Renter (HousingAssistanceRenters) records. Empty when type is "owners" or no renter data exists.
`totalCount`	No	Total owner + renter records available before the per-dataset limit — exceeds the returned count when either dataset was capped.
`owners_count`	No	Total owner records available before the per-dataset limit.
`renters_count`	No	Total renter records available before the per-dataset limit.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed13 schema fields changedSep 24, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / owners / items / properties / approved_for_fema_assistance / description

Previous value: -"Number of homeowner registrations approved for any FEMA assistance. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Number of homeowner registrations approved for any FEMA assistance; 0 when none were. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / owners / items / properties / other_needs_amount / description

Previous value: -"Other needs assistance (personal property, transportation, etc.) in USD. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Other needs assistance (personal property, transportation, etc.) in USD; 0 when none was approved. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / owners / items / properties / rental_amount / description

Previous value: -"Rental assistance granted in USD. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Rental assistance granted in USD; 0 when none was. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / owners / items / properties / repair_replace_amount / description

Previous value: -"Home repair and replacement assistance in USD. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Home repair and replacement assistance in USD; 0 when none was approved. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / owners / items / properties / total_approved_ihp_amount / description

Previous value: -"Total Individuals and Households Program (IHP) assistance approved in USD. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Total Individuals and Households Program (IHP) assistance approved in USD; 0 when none was. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / owners / items / properties / valid_registrations / description

Previous value: -"Number of valid IA registrations from homeowners in this area. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Number of valid IA registrations from homeowners in this area. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / owners / items / properties / zip_code / description

Previous value: -"5-digit ZIP code. Absent when not recorded."New value: +"5-digit ZIP code; 00000 when OpenFEMA files the records under no ZIP code. Absent when not recorded."

changedOutput schema / properties / renters / items / properties / approved_for_fema_assistance / description

Previous value: -"Number of renter registrations approved for any FEMA assistance. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Number of renter registrations approved for any FEMA assistance; 0 when none were. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / renters / items / properties / other_needs_amount / description

Previous value: -"Other needs assistance in USD. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Other needs assistance in USD; 0 when none was approved. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / renters / items / properties / rental_amount / description

Previous value: -"Rental assistance granted in USD. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Rental assistance granted in USD; 0 when none was. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / renters / items / properties / total_approved_ihp_amount / description

Previous value: -"Total IHP assistance approved for renters in USD. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Total IHP assistance approved for renters in USD; 0 when none was. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / renters / items / properties / valid_registrations / description

Previous value: -"Number of valid IA registrations from renters in this area. Absent when zero or not reported."New value: +"Number of valid IA registrations from renters in this area. Absent when not reported."

changedOutput schema / properties / renters / items / properties / zip_code / description

Previous value: -"5-digit ZIP code. Absent when not recorded."New value: +"5-digit ZIP code; 00000 when OpenFEMA files the records under no ZIP code. Absent when not recorded."

Changed4 schema fields changedSep 24, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / disaster_number / description

Previous value: -"FEMA disaster number. Obtain from fema_search_disasters."New value: +"FEMA disaster number. Obtain from fema_search_disasters. Numbers above 32767 match no declaration."

changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / description

Previous value: -"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `invalid_state`: The state parameter is not a valid 2-letter US state/territory code. `no_results`: No IA housing records found for this disaster. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."New value: +"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `invalid_state`: The state parameter is not a valid 2-letter US state/territory code. `not_found`: The disaster number is above 32767, the highest number OpenFEMA holds, so no declaration exists. `no_results`: No IA housing records found for this disaster. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."

changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / examples

Previous value: -[
-  "invalid_state",
-  "no_results"
-]New value: +[
+  "invalid_state",
+  "not_found",
+  "no_results"
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description

Previous value: -"Guidance when no results were found."New value: +"Paging guidance when offset is at or past the end of a queried dataset — names its total and last valid offset."

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 24, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "owners",
+      "renters",
+      "owners_count",
+      "renters_count"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `invalid_state`: The state parameter is not a valid 2-letter US state/territory code. `no_results`: No IA housing records found for this disaster. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "invalid_state",
+            "no_results"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "owners",
-  "renters",
-  "owners_count",
-  "renters_count"
-]

Changed1 schema field changedJun 12, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / totalCount

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Total owner + renter records available before the per-dataset limit — exceeds the returned count when either dataset was capped.",
+  "type": "number"
+}

First observedJun 7, 2026

TDQS

A3.8/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint and openWorldHint, and the description adds useful behavioral context: data is grouped by county/ZIP, includes specific fields like valid registrations and IHP amounts, and supports owner/renter/both selection. There is no hint of side effects or hidden mutations, and nothing contradicts the annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is compact and well-structured: purpose, output shape, then key parameter guidance. Every sentence earns its place, and the most important facts are front-loaded.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

All five parameters are fully documented in the schema and an output schema exists, so the description does not need to restate return values. It covers purpose, output scope, type behavior, and ID provenance; the only minor gap is the lack of explicit routing between similar retrieval tools, which is not required for a correct call.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents type, limit, offset, state, and disaster_number. The description only reinforces the type default and points to fema_search_disasters for the disaster number, adding little meaning beyond what the schema already provides.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description names a specific verb and resource ('Retrieve Individual Assistance (IA) housing data... by disaster number') and enumerates the returned data types, making the tool's purpose clear and distinct from public-assistance and disaster-search siblings. It does not explicitly name an alternative tool, so it stops short of full sibling differentiation.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description clearly implies when to use the tool (when IA housing data for a disaster is needed) and tells the caller to source disaster_number from fema_search_disasters. However, it does not explicitly state when to prefer this tool over fema_get_public_assistance, fema_get_disaster, or fema_query_dataset, nor does it give exclusions.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All fema-mcp-server tools Inspect

Try in Browser

One endpoint for every MCP toolRayrun runs every MCP server behind one URL and holds the credentials. Each call is decided per client, tool, and argument, then recorded.ray.runAd

Glama MCP Gateway

Add one secure layer between your agents and this server.