What you need to know for FEMA transitional sheltering assistance

Writer: Kendell Gordon
Published: Updated:
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Many in Southwest Florida are dealing with unlivable conditions after a series of hurricanes hit the area last fall.

FEMA provides Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) for temporary hotel/motel stays when homes are unlivable or unreachable due to a disaster.

FEMA may pay for temporary lodging in hotels/motels if FEMA inspectors find your home is unsafe to live in, you don’t have insurance for living expenses following a disaster and your FEMA application is active.

If you are no longer eligible for assistance, the agency will contact you by text, email and/or telephone seven days before you must check out.

The agency will review your eligibility for continuing assistance every 14 days, and you may be considered no longer eligible for TSA if:

  • A FEMA inspection finds that your home is safe to live in.
  • An inspector couldn’t complete a home inspection after three attempts to contact you, or you failed to attend an inspection.
  • Someone else in your household is getting FEMA housing assistance.
  • You are now getting rental assistance from FEMA.
  • You haven’t submitted documentation that proves you are not getting insurance benefits for loss of use or additional living expenses.
  • You fail to comply with the terms and conditions of the motel/hotel where you’re staying.

You might get a notification that you are no longer eligible for assistance. To show you can stay in your hotel, you must provide documentation proving you’re not getting insurance benefits for loss of use or additional living expenses.

You also may have to show the home noted in your application is your primary residence.

FEMA will be looking for evidence that you have been working on your Permanent Housing Plan. This means that applicants who have shown the need for a longer-term or permanent housing plan or have demonstrated progress toward developing such a plan will be reviewed.

Survivors receiving FEMA assistance, such as TSA, rental assistance or direct housing must create a plan for finding permanent housing.

If you cannot yet move into a permanent home and require continued FEMA assistance, you must demonstrate progress in your housing plan to FEMA.

Survivors can show long-term housing plan progress if they:

  • Decide whether to repair or rebuild a pre-disaster home, find and purchase a new residence or find and lease an available rental unit.
  • Provide evidence of progress, such as invoices for repairs, applications for additional funds (SBA, bank, etc.), a contract for rebuilding or a lease for a new home.
  • Provide evidence of the cause for delays beyond your control.
  • Achieve long-term housing plan goals in a reasonable time frame.
  • Fulfill requests to communicate and meet with FEMA staff member.

Even after your TSA eligibility ends, you can still access other disaster assistance resources.

This includes information about additional housing options through organizations like Activate Hope and the State of Florida’s 211 helpline.

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