Inequity after death: Exploring the equitable utilization of FEMA's COVID-19 funeral assistance funds

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.