Starting Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin accepting applications from some residents for Transitional Sheltering Assistance, following Hurricane Michael.
FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) provides short-term lodging assistance for evacuees who are unable to return home for an extended or unknown period of time following a disaster.
Individuals and Households may be eligible for TSA if:
- They register with FEMA for assistance
- They pass identify verification
- Their pre-disaster primary residence is located in a geographic area that is designated for TSA and occupancy is verified
- As a result of the disaster, they are displaced from their pre-disaster residence and they are currently not living in their primary residence.
FEMA does not cover the cost of incidental room charges or amenities, such as telephone, room service, food, etc.
To locate participating hotels, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, scroll down to the Quick Links section, and click on “Transitional Sheltering Assistance Hotel Locator.” You can also call the disaster assistance helpline at 800-621-FEMA or TTY 800-462-7585.
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Following a request by Gov. Scott, and approval by FEMA, families in the following counties are now eligible for FEMA individual assistance:
- Bay
- Franklin
- Gulf
- Taylor
- Wakulla
- Calhoun
- Liberty
- Jackson
- Gadsden
- Holmes
- Washington
Click here for more information on the sheltering assistance program.
Currently, there are 18 shelters open across Florida that are helping 1,656 people who have been displaced by the storm. Click here to find information on shelters in your area.
Other ways to find shelter:
VISIT Florida has activated the Expedia/VISIT Florida Hotel Accommodation Web Portal to support evacuation orders.
Airbnb Open Homes is now active in several states in response to Hurricane Michael.