I had the same experience as Greg after my first child was born. We applied for assistance and were denied because the single wide we lived in was considered an asset. Obviously, the people who denied me know nothing about owning a single wide.
Fast forward 15 years or so. Hurricane Irene drops 50,000 lbs of oak tree on my house. Two blocks from my house is the Town building where FEMA was doling out funds to 'victims' of the hurricane. The day after I watched my 100-year-old Victorian get smashed under a tree, I went over to the FEMA trailer to ask for temporary assistance while waiting for the insurance adjuster to get to our claim. They asked for my info and situation, then flatly denied my request. Meanwhile, the scourge of humanity were in line getting $500-$750 to replace the food they 'lost' due to power outages.
I was looking at this FEMA fucker like, "Bitch. Look over there. See that house that's getting face-fucked by that tree? That's MY FUCKING HOUSE! I have no electricity. I have no roof. I HAVE A FUCKING TREE IN MY ATTIC!" Meanwhile, these other fuckers are there because their power went out for a few hours, so every fucking scrap off free food they got with their EBT card had 'gone bad'.
The system is rigged against the producers. I've often wondered why I haven't 'lost my job' and become a ward of the state. Then I remember that I have a strong desire to not rely on others for my subsistence.
Here's the damage to my house that didn't warrant FEMA assistance: