Temporary Hotel Program Helping 27,000 Florida Households

ORLANDO, Fla. — A short-term emergency sheltering program that has paid for hotel rooms for Florida Hurricane Irma survivors will end March 10, six months after the Sept. 10, 2017 major disaster declaration. The March 10 end of the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program only applies to survivors in hotels as a result of Hurricane Irma in Florida.

At the request of the state, FEMA extended the temporary hotel program five times over the last six months to provide emergency housing for Irma survivors.

More than 27,000 Florida households have participated in TSA and more 26,000 households have already moved out after making home repairs or finding suitable longer-term housing.

FEMA notified households of checkout dates upon notification of eligibility, and has remained in communication with disaster survivors enrolled in the program. Households were advised of their continuing eligibility every two weeks.

Over the last six months, FEMA caseworkers have worked with survivors to help them identify resources and develop a long-term or permanent housing plan.  Households with continued unmet needs should contact 2-1-1 for referral to additional state, local and voluntary resources.

A state must request FEMA to activate TSA. Under TSA, disaster survivors may be eligible to stay in a participating hotel or motel for a limited period of time and have the cost of the room and taxes covered by FEMA. The agency’s Public Assistance program funds TSA on a cost-share basis. FEMA pays 75 percent and the State of Florida pays 25 percent.